Arabesque
by I Can Hear the Sea
Summary: In figure skating's crowded galaxy of comets and tiny phenoms, she is a radiant star; the epitome of grace and elegance who is her country's best hope to bring back a lost legacy. He is the force that keeps this superstar grounded amidst an entire nation's expectations. [NejiTen]
1. The Power of the Dream

**AUTHOR'S NOTE, PLEASE READ: **_Of Triple Jumps and Falling in Love_ has been discontinued and in its place, I offer this one. Also, if you've logged in and had reviewed the first **six** chapters of _Of Triple Jumps and Falling in Love_, I don't think you can review again for those chapters of this story. But I welcome "anonymous" not-logged in reviews if you'd like to post them! —Thanks!

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**THE POWER OF THE DREAM**

**.**

"_Deep within each heart, there lies a magic spark that lights the fire of our imagination."_

* * *

"_It was not to win an Olympic gold medal, but it was because skating was so much fun and because I thought Michelle Kwan was so beautiful; I wanted to be like her."_

**—South Korean ****Olympic Champion, ****Yuna Kim, on why she first started skating**

* * *

This is how it began.

For as long as she could remember, Olympic fever had always swept through the country during either Olympic Games. In the Ryū household, it was pretty much inevitable.

Tenten and her family lived for all the cheesy fluff-pieces of all the top athletes and underdogs by whatever TV network was airing the Olympics, as well as the heated competitions. Tenten always rooted for the athletes from Fire Country, and occasionally the ones from Tea Country where her mother was from.

Her father always loved watching the objective competitions, like speed skating during the Winter Games and track and swimming in the Summer Games. There was really nothing like the anticipation and the intensity, nothing like screaming at the top of your lungs for your favorite athletes, hoping and praying they'd cross the finish line first (or second or third, but definitely first).

But as much as Tenten loved the timed sports, what appealed to her the most were the subjective sports like artistic and rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating. She preferred the clean lines and elegance of the more fluid gymnasts and skaters, her young mind no doubt already influenced by her balletic mother. As much as she loved watching the tricks and skills of artistic gymnasts, the choreography or lack thereof on the different apparatuses left her wanting more. Rhythmic gymnastics was nice, but could get boring even with flashy costumes and a variety of props (and no one from Fire Country ever qualified for rhythmic gymnastics anyway, which was actually kind of odd).

Skating, however, was another story.

The very first Olympic competition she could remember watching live on television was the ladies' figure skating short program when she was five. It had been particularly memorable: leading up to the Olympics, the media had been hyping up the growing rivalry between Fire Country's own Mitarashi Anko and Sound Country's Yakushi Kabuko.

Tenten had been transfixed by Anko's steely determination and ornate costume coupled with her soulful quality. The two skaters had been neck and neck for the top prize, with Anko barely hanging onto first after the short program. But after a small mistake on the triple salchow in the long program, millions of viewers had been left disappointed as the soulless skater from Sound Country reigned supreme. At the time, little Tenten had been confused and heartbroken as to why the lady with the pretty eyes from Konoha did not capture the gold over that creepy-looking one from Oto, but regardless, Anko had become Tenten's very first figure skating idol.

And who could forget the quintessential rivalry between the alluring Terumi Mei and the enchanting Okawa Konan, one that had inspired Anko when she was a little girl herself?

Tenten's curiosity had been piqued after watching one of the made-for-TV fluff specials that the network created to generate the nostalgia for the Games of old and new interest for younger audiences. The old footage, coupled with effectively-timed music successfully captured Tenten's interest in the famed rivalry, one that had been even more intense than that between Anko and Kabuko.

When Tenten had declared that she absolutely had to see what had been "so epic" about the two women, her mother had whipped out one of her old grainy videotapes and through these, Tenten had been able to grasp the concept of "poetry in motion".

Both women were quite different: Terumi Mei had been charismatic, exuding a fiery kind of confidence that could awaken the most tired of souls. Okawa Konan, on the other hand, had been ethereal, almost untouchable with her clean lines and cool beauty. Mei's style was passionate, captivating audiences with her alluring beauty and wild jumps; Konan entranced them with her grace, fluidity, and her stunning spins. Terumi Mei ultimately won Olympic Gold then, but Okawa Konan had become a champion in her own right an Olympic cycle later in another hyped-up rivalry against Fire Country's Kato Shizune who had finished a disappointing third.

But above all else?

It was Senjuu Tsunade who had _truly_ inspired Tenten to be a skater.

Before Tenten was even a thought, Tsunade exuded such charisma both on- and off-ice that could never be taught. With her legendary beauty and unparalleled artistry, she steadily dominated the sport for more than a decade. Though her technical prowess had been juvenile and basic compared to that of present skaters, her artistic ability had been far ahead her time. She was well-known for her musicality, poise and form, and the way she took audiences on a journey through her performances. "A dominant fixture by which all others are measured," a famous sports journalist had said about her.* All three of her Olympic gold-medal-winning long programs, among many others, had had achieved and iconic statuses. Not even Terumi Mei had been able to match up to Tsunade, as the then-teenage skater had been quite obviously defeated on Tsunade's quest for a third Olympic gold (A string of 5.9s and 6.0s for Tsunade, if Tenten remembered correctly).

But what endeared Tsunade to Tenten the most was not her drive to be the best, but her need to put the audience first, giving them the best performance possible. As far as Tsunade had been concerned, the judges were secondary. So as she grew up, Tenten's focus on being the best skater of her generation was born, for the most part, from her aspiration to be as captivating, remembered, and loved as her idol had been.

That is how, on the morning of her sixth birthday, Tenten opened her parents' gift and found herself faced with a ruby-red pair of skates.

* * *

**Edited: **05 July 2013.

**Note:** Neji will be present beginning next chapter.

*The quote "_A dominant fixture by which all others are measured_" (as well as the summary for this) is an actual one made by the legendary sportscaster Jim McKay about former figure skater Michelle Kwan in a tribute video to her by, I believe, the U.S. Figure Skating Association (USFSA) in 2006.

Also, for the sake of this story, Kabuto is female. Though, s/he probably won't be making an appearance anytime soon, if _ever_.

**Song/Theme:** "The Power of the Dream" by Celine Dion (performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games)


	2. Breakaway

(Posted: 10/13/2012.)

If Tenten was a skater, she'd be a blend of some of the greats, including, but not limited to: Michelle Kwan (obviously), Yuna Kim, Lu Chen, Mao Asada, Sasha Cohen, etc.

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**02. BREAKAWAY**

**.**

_"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly. _

_I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky and _

_I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change; _

_and breakaway ..."_

* * *

"_I don't do things halfway. As spectacularly as I had risen up the skating ladder, I fell just as hard and fast. In one quick year, I went from an alternate for the Olympics, Goodwill Games athlete, and the next favorite of U.S. figure skating to a complete and utter write-off."_

******—**The unconventional Johnny Weir, 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, in his autobiography _**Welcome to My World**_

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, end of March to early April)**

_(27 March, End of fourth season on the senior level)_

This was _not_ happening.

It wasn't. It really wasn't. But try as she might, Tenten could not erase the bitter sting she felt on her knee cap, nor could she ignore the dull pain on her right hip. She held onto her ending pose longer than necessary, still in shock. Sounds of applause and some cheers reverberated around the stadium, but they were not as loud as they would have been. _Should have _been.

There would be no standing ovations this time. Not for the girl who had fallen apart on the same World stage she had crowned a champion two seasons ago.

Her face displayed no emotion as she relaxed out of her pose to catch her breath. Her hands came up to rest on her hips. The shutters on the cameras around the rink were going off; Tenten could see flashes going off in her periphery. Faintly, she knew that fans were throwing gifts onto the ice, but all she saw were her mistakes, replaying over and over like a broken record.

At last she shook out of her reverie, bowing half-heartedly to the audience before propelling herself to the rink-side boards. Anxiety swept through her figure even before she approached the boards, though she still displayed no outward emotion. Tenten stepped off of the ice and onto solid ground where her coach of four years awaited her.

Men with oversized cameras from different international broadcast stations surrounded one side of her, eagerly recording footage of the young skater and her coach. Tenten took the federation-issued athletic jacket from her coach's hands and put it on. Wordlessly, Madam Shijimi motioned her to the Kiss and Cry booth, not sparing any comforting words or even a glance to the young skater.

Dazed, she followed the shorter plump woman to the blue velvet bench. Tenten plopped down on one end as gracefully as she could. Madam Shijimi seemed to hesitate and consider something before sitting down herself. Tenten was entirely shocked by her performances in the entire competition, but even she could not miss the way Madam Shijimi sat on the bench. It was obvious to any close spectator, especially in the television broadcast, that there was so much distance between them that Tenten could have built a dollhouse in that piece of blue velvet real estate. There was no way she could miss the barely-contained rage emanating off of her coach in waves. Begrudgingly, Madam Shijimi passed Tenten her blade covers.

In front of them, shutters were still going off. Tenten barely managed a smile and a wave for the cameras as the playback of her program came on the monitors in front of her. She bit her lip and stared at her hands, not brave enough to watch the footage of her glaring mistakes. Minutes seemed like hours and Tenten wanted erupt into tears and cry, but managed to contain them. Even if she could not watch herself fall, she would not allow herself to cry ugly tears in front of millions of viewers around the world.

"_The scores, please, for Ryū Tenten of Fire Country."_

Tenten looked up at the stadium monitors overhead. Her thoughts were filled with shreds of hope and last-minute prayers.

"_Her free skating score is 104.67, which gives her a total score of 163.32. She is in …"_

A number popped up beside her name.

"_Sixth place."_

This time, Tenten could not stop the tears from flowing.

For the first time in her skating career since her Novice-level years, she had placed off the top three. In fact, the judges had indubitably punished her for her mistakes; she was _nowhere_ near the podium. Her meager score of 163.32 was a good twenty points from the bronze medal and a whopping thirty points from the World title. A week ago, it had been predicted that she would recapture her lost gold. Instead, she had let it escape even further from her grasp, having been effectively _buried_ in the rankings_._

This was a situation that was entirely foreign to her.

"_I can't believe this,"_ her coach muttered under her breath angrily and stormed off of the booth before remembering she actually had a student.

Momentarily sitting on that solid, velvet-covered bench with a cluster of cameras in front of her, Tenten slowly gathered herself and felt more alone than ever.

**- - - x - - -**

_(10 April, End of fourth season on the senior level)_

Two weeks after, Tenten was curled up on a window seat in a café. It was a cloudy April day; the entire sky was a sea of dark gray. She was seated near the back of the café, with her schoolwork and books spread out in an organized mess in front of her. As both a skater and a full-time student of the prestigious Konoha University, she could not allow herself to fall behind in anything. But after everything that happened, she had decided to take a break from her studies after the current school year was over.

_The Rose_, named for the well-kept hedge of roses outside the establishment, was a quaint little café a few blocks from her house. It wasn't the best place in the neighborhood to get coffee or tea, but Tenten was there more for the atmosphere. It wasn't too busy, which allowed for the young skater to catch up on her undergraduate work without many distractions. The workers at the café knew her as a regular as well, and they helped her maintain some sense of anonymity. They were always kind to her; the managers would sometimes gift her with a steaming mug of coffee or tea and a pastry whenever she'd stay there past dinnertime.

(They'd even hidden all the acerbic newspaper articles that mentioned her the whole week she'd been studying there in her spare time. Bless them and their kind souls.)

The interior of _The Rose_ was warm and its few patrons all had their coats and scarves hanging from chairs or placed on the tables next to them. There were a few hushed conversations going on at the front.

With a sigh, she fiddled around with her half-empty mug of honey-ginger tea and disinterestedly flipped through a page of her biology textbook. Her eyelids felt increasingly heavy as she scanned the pages for any information relevant to the study questions assigned by the teacher's assistant.

Clicking her tongue, she gently pushed the book and the mug away and leaned into the worn wooden chair. The fact that her smartphone was completely out of battery did not even serve to help her focus on her studies. Tenten's mind was more preoccupied with the events that had occurred in the past few weeks rather than the basics of the cardiovascular system.

She hadn't seen her best friend in three weeks. Despite the fact that they both attended the same university, she and Neji were of different majors, so they seldom—if ever—shared the same classes. With the World Championships and their professors seemingly coordinating their exams to correspond in the same weeks, they were both extremely busy.

_Kami, she was so tired!_

Apart from this issue at hand, Tenten knew that she needed to get her act together when it came down to skating. Her way-off-the-podium finish was the wake-up call she needed to evaluate the direction she was going in her sport. A few of the Federation's officials had actually pulled her aside to ask her if anything was wrong and if they could do anything to help. She smiled and declined as she usually did and politely excused herself.

Perhaps the _only thing_ that kept the higher-ups from disregarding her as the face of Fire Country figure skating was that she was, essentially, the _only_ good elite female Fire Country singles' skater in fifteen years.

Over the course of the past season, it had become apparent that her relationship with Madam Shijimi had gone downhill to the point that they only talked to one another when necessary. Of course, she was indebted to Madam Shijimi for her successes at the senior level, notably her World title and four of her six National titles, but things had deteriorated so much that Tenten now felt uncomfortable in the presence of her coach of four years. There were also numerous occasions that Madam Shijimi had publicly told her to "get her shit together," much to her chagrin.

Her frustrations with her coach had led, in part, to her lackluster competitive results. She had not won a single international title in the past season; her only crown was from the National Championships. Even her bronze medal placing at the Grand Prix Final last December had been called out and questioned by some in the figure skating community. She'd only gotten it as a result of a controversial tie-breaker rule in the judging system, and there were a few who still maintained that it was a product of clever politics from the FCFSA* to the ISU or because she was a past World Champion.

But it was unfair to place all the blame on her strained relationship with her coach. Her competitive drive to do well and win had unexpectedly fizzled out as well. In every competition from the start of the season resorted to using her raw talent rather than a balance of her training and talent. The joy she got from figure skating was beginning to diminish. If she was going to continue being at the top of her game, she was going to have to go in a different direction. To be honest, she was a little scared to think about what that meant.

Admitting that she wasn't going to get much studying done, Tenten got up from her seat and began packing her things. Waving goodbye to the baristas, Tenten pulled the hood of her inconspicuous navy blue hoodie over her head and began walking in the direction of her house. As long as she could stay hidden in plain sight, she was sure there would be no fans or reporters waiting to pounce on her.

With her luck, however, it started pouring three blocks from the café. As she ducked below the awning of a nearby restaurant, she contemplated running back to The Rose. Between going home and going back, it seemed like the better choice. She'd have to walk ten more blocks to get to her house—her phone was dead, so she couldn't call for her parents to pick her up. Tenten was seriously regretting her decision to walk instead of taking her car.

While torn between leaving the shelter of the awning or running back to the café, Tenten missed a familiar sleek black car pulling up in front of her.

The tinted window of the passenger side of the car rolled down."Tenten!"

The young woman looked up. "Who—_Neji_?" she asked, surprise evident in her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to your place," he said simply.

"Oh. Well. That's nice." Tenten said, blinking. "_Thank Kami_! I thought I was going to be stuck here _forever!_"

"Tenten, just get in the car," Neji demanded, looking wearily at the raindrops that had managed to fall into his car.

The young woman in question bit back a sarcastic "no" and responded instead with "So rude!" before running toward the car, wrenching the passenger side door open and throwing herself in the cushy leather seat. "T-thank you," she said, sneezing.

"Your place?" Neji asked, signaling to turn away from the curb.

"_Obviously_," she said, fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie.

"Don't be stupid."

The rest of the drive was filled with endless chatter—mainly from Tenten's end. She was busy drawing hearts and stars on the mist-covered window as she responded to best friend's inquiries. When at last Neji pulled his car into a designated parking space underneath Tenten's apartment complex, Tenten was about to unlock the door when he spoke up. "I apologize," he said. "I was stupid—"

"You were," she responded, even though she had no idea why he was apologizing.

"—for letting Kiba throw up in your hat."

"Hold on, _hold on_," Tenten said, doing a double-take. "He _what?!"_

"You left a hat the last time you were over," Neji said, putting a hand on the steering wheel. Tenten nodded. "Some of the guys were over the other day with drink—Kiba had more than he could handle."

"And you _couldn't grab him a garbage can?"_ Tenten asked, crossing her arms.

"There was no time," Neji clarified. "And I dread what Aunt Kanako would do if the carpet was stained."

"So you _let him_ throw up in _my_ hat?!"

"I had not realized until after the act," Neji said calmly, reaching over to the back seat and grabbing a colorful glossy (expensive!) paper bag. "I got you a new hat."

"I don't even—you're still really stupid," Tenten deadpanned, swiping the bag from him and peering inside. It was a grey beanie that she'd been wanting for weeks!

"What, no appreciation or thanks?"

"You let him throw up in my hat. You _owed_ me this."

There was a silence after that, the two passengers of the car just sitting and listening to the rain fall outside.

"I missed you," Tenten said as nonchalantly as she could.

Neji, having been her best friend for more than a decade, saw right through her façade and recognized that this was as close as an "I forgive you" as he was going to get. He wisely chose not to fish for one, instead smirking and saying, "Naturally."

"While I like your car," Tenten said, any trace of anger gone, "We've in here for _way_ too long. Dad's making spring rolls today. You know the ones with the tiger shrimp and pork slices that you really like?"

Neji smirked. "Lead the way."

— —

"No, really, she was crazy psycho—no, I am _not_ just saying that because she didn't like me—I still can't believe Kiba went for Matsuri after you two broke up last year."

"His stupidity ultimately won over," Neji said. "I warned him."

"Well, yeah," Tenten agreed. "I'd be concerned if he didn't realize that. Kiba definitely deserves better than her, and I'm damn well glad that he finally saw that."

"She had a particularly violent dream about the four of us once," Neji scoffed. "She tried to use that to convince me that we still had a chance."

"Worst mistake of your life, she was," Tenten said, horrified. "Though, she never did say why she hated my guts though, did she?"

"She made me choose, which was her mistake," Neji said calmly. "Fan mail?"

"Of course," she said jokingly of the neatly bundled stack of letters on her writing desk. "Got quite a few hate letters though. One said I should go "die in a fire" and another one said I was unpatriotic for not winning and tried for treason. At least I think that's what the writer meant. Maybe Matsuri wrote that one," she joked.

"Damned _fools_—"

"It's nothing I can't handle," Tenten smiled at him. "Nothing that I've ever gotten is as bad as the letter written in period blood sent to Kurotsuchi from Earth Country. Shit, that was disgusting!"

Neji made a face. She laughed at his expression until he spoke once more. "Tenten?"

"Hm?" she responded, taking off her diamond studs and placing them in her ornate wooden jewelry box.

"How is the coaching situation?" he asked.

She sighed and relayed everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks to him. Despite the fact that they'd been having conversations about the tense coaching situation throughout all of last year, her parents had actually sat her down to talk about it after they came home from the World Championships. This had forced her to really sit down and think about her options regarding the future of her skating career.

"I think I'm going to change coaches," she admitted. As soon as the words left her mouth, there was a sense of finality as to what she should do. It was oddly comforting. "I think it's better for me to do it before this upcoming season than for me to wait until the summer before the Olympic season. I honestly don't think I could last that long."

"Seems appropriate. Have you considered anyone yet?"

"Not seriously," Tenten admitted. "I was thinking about working with Shimura Danzō, but he's three hours away from Konoha and I don't know if his teaching styles would work for me. He seems to favor programs with practically empty choreography."

"He _would_ be immensely useful in the political side of things," Neji said. "No one else?"

"Well, of course there are a lot of options," Tenten shrugged sheepishly. "Madam Shijimi was the most practical choice four years ago Honestly, I've got no idea what to do."

"What of your old rink?" Neji asked. "Perhaps Iruka-_sensei_ could teach you again."

"Last time, he said he had nothing left to teach me past the junior level. Something about staying with him would hold me back," Tenten sighed. "He made that pretty clear four years ago, which is why he introduced me to Madam Shijimi."

"If Iruka-_sensei_ introduced you to Madam Shijimi, he might be able to introduce you to someone else."

Tenten contemplated this. "You know, that's actually not a bad idea."

"Of course."

"Good to have you back, bro."

"You missed me."

"Unfortunately. I'll be sure to aim better next time."

* * *

**Edited: **05 July 2013

I am a fan of the Naruto spin-off _Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals._ Therefore, if ever I see Orochimaru or Kabuto in the manga, I will snicker.

**Note #1:** In case you were wondering, Madam Shijimi is the lady that keeps losing her cat in Naruto.

**Note #2: **FCFSA = Fire Country Figure Skating Association, the governing body of figure skating in Fire Country.

**Song/Theme:** "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson


	3. A Hard Day's Night

(Posted: 11/21/2012.)

I believe everyone should strive to be like Maito Gai: positive, upbeat, and ridiculous. And hard-working; can't forget hard-working.

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**03. A HARD DAY'S NIGHT**

**.**

_"It's been a hard day's night, _

_and I've been working like a dog. _

_It's been a hard day's night, _

_I should be sleeping like a log!"_

* * *

"_Growing up as an athlete, I started skating very young. My parents didn't know anything about the sport, so they went with the flow. I had two great coaches who gave great advice and gave guidelines for my parents. My parents let the coaches dictate what was going on the ice."_

******—American figure skater **Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, mid-April to mid-May)**

_(14 April, Before the fifth season on the senior level)_

The weekend after her and Neji's conversation, Tenten went to go see Iruka-_sensei_.

Nostalgia gripped her senses as she walked through the entrance of the Konohagakure Skating Club. Nothing had drastically changed in four years. At the front, surprisingly, was Sarutobi Hiruzen who recognized her instantly.

"Well if it isn't our little heaven," he said fondly, the wrinkles on his face scrunched up as he smiled at her. "Then again, you're not so little anymore, are you, Tenten? Even taller than me now!"

"Only barely!" Tenten beamed at her very first official coach, glad to see him. He was the one who had taught her how to skate before she could jump; the one who had taught her the importance of edge work and how to glide effortlessly across the ice. She remembered he had once expressed a desire to coach her up to her senior level, but his increasing age and a car accident had forced him to relegate that task to a younger instructor of the rink, Umino Iruka.

"Well, this million year-old man _is_ getting quite old," he joked, motioning to his cane.

"But you're still as sharp as ever, Hiruzen-_sensei_," Tenten laughed. Once, a long time ago, she'd asked him if he was a million years old—he hadn't forgotten that.

"I would certainly hope so," Hiruzen said. "This eighty-three year-old body can be a bit troublesome sometimes."

"Impossible," Tenten said. "Are you still working your charm on the skating mothers of the rink?"

It was Hiruzen's turn to laugh. "Only on days when I feel like making a trip to the rink. I've been told that I'm more like a fisherman now. It's very nice and quiet out on the lake, you know. Though, Biwako never stops reminding me of that fact that I've got a wife who's still alive and kicking."

"How is Biwako-_obaasan_?" Tenten asked, genuinely curious.

"Still as fiesty as ever," he replied, chuckling. "She and Tsunade still get along quite famously," he said of his wife and former pupil.

Though she'd never actually formally met her number one idol before, she remembered that Hiruzen-_sensei_ used to tell the younger skaters of the rink stories about his most famous pupil.

"But, you're not here to catch up, are you?"

"No," Tenten said and shook her head sheepishly. "I'm actually looking for Iruka-_sensei_."

"I suspected as much," Hiruzen replied with a smile. "Well, I'm afraid he's not here today."

"Ah," she responded, a little disappointed. "It's alright then. I'll come back another day."

"Why don't you accompany me down to the rink?" the old man asked suddenly.

The young skater was a bit taken aback. "Well," she started, contemplating his request. She hadn't had anything lined up for the rest of the day. "Why not?"

"So, have there been any diamonds in the rough since I've left?" Tenten asked as they walked through the corridor to the rink.

"None quite like you, I'm afraid," Hiruzen answered earnestly. "Though, there _is_ one. I trust you know a Rock Lee, correct?"

"I do, actually," she replied. While the waters of ladies' singles skating for Fire Country were suffering a drought, things were better on the men's side. The pool of talent on their end had no shortage of depth. Rock Lee was a define mainstay on that list. She'd met him on a couple of occasions at the National Championships and in a couple of international events, but had never officially been introduced.

"Well, his coach just moved back to Konoha from Crater City last year, so Lee followed him here. He's a very interesting fellow."

"Oh. Okay," Tenten replied, a bit bewildered.

The Konohagakure Skating Club rink was actually part of a larger facility that aimed to promote excellence in various sports. It was privately-owned and operated by the Sarutobi family and had been since Hiruzen's father and uncles founded it before his birth. This was the place she used to train and was considerably nicer than the Kikyo Castle rink. Rows of tall windows lined the top of the walls closest to the ceiling, allowing for maximum natural light to flow through while maintaining a strong semblance of privacy from the outside. The ceiling above the ice rink was built so that it curved into an arch, creating a cozier environment unlike its vast and cold counterpart which had been covered in industrial overhead lights with minimal natural light. A row of studio mirrors lined the back walls, adding to the atmosphere.

Perhaps she was being a little biased, but coming back to the Konoha Skating Club was kind of like coming home again.

Hiruzen led Tenten into a large viewing room, only separated from the vast sheet of ice by a string of ultra-clean windows. On the ice, a few skaters were training with their coaches alongside them. Tenten's unexpected entrance had sparked a bit of conversation between the skating parents. She waved and said a polite hello to the few who were looking at her before following Hiruzen to a row of chairs.

"Ah, there they are. A bit green as always," old man said as he sat down.

Tenten took a seat next to him and looked through the window. "A bit green" was clearly an understatement. The pair was wearing the same exactly outfit. They were clad head-to-toe in a skin-tight forest green jumpsuit and wearing bright orange legwarmers over their skates. They were even sporting the same haircut! The only difference was that Lee's coach was wearing some sort of thick olive green vest.

Just by looking at them, Tenten had already felt some sense of second-hand embarrassment. Really, even if it was a practice session, these two were violating all kind of rules about things to wear in public. But as she continued to watch them, Tenten was very impressed by the speed that Lee carried across the ice. Though, sometimes Lee was a little too quick for his own good and crashed onto the ice after a jump.

The parents and guardians within the viewing room were still muttering amongst themselves, mainly about her, as she heard a few mentions of her name. Though a little uncomfortable, Tenten was used to it and said nothing. A father of a junior skater who represented Grass Country but came to Konoha to train had actually approached her and introduced himself. He began speaking to her about his daughter, pointed her out, and began to criticize her flaws. Tenten suspected that he was indirectly asking her advice as to how his daughter could improve and if she could take his daughter under her wing, but she decided not to take the bait, instead complimenting the younger girl on her finer points and telling him that her coach probably knew what he was doing.

"Gai is quite a remarkable person, if not a coach," Hiruzen spoke up, effectively cutting off any further conversation between Tenten and the concerned father. She smiled at the skating father and nodded as a means of dismissal.

"As I was saying, Gai has the reputation for being a tough coach in terms of training," Hiruzen said to Tenten after the other man went back to his seat. "Other skaters come to him for help before and they've left after a few months to a year. Lee is the only student who followed him here and has trained under him for a long time. Though, his personality is a little hard to handle as well."

Maito Gai was one in a long line of world-class skaters that the Fire Country had produced. He had been the main rival of Mitarashi Anko's training partner, Hatake Kakashi. Gai won four World titles in all, but despite this, he had never medaled at the Olympics in his two trips there. Tenten did not recognize him due to his hair, which had been cut short and fashioned into a bowl-cut.

"Anyway, Lee trains very diligently under his tutelage. You should ask him how that came to be sometime. It's actually quite an interesting story."

"I'll be sure to do that," Tenten replied. When she turned her attention back to the rink, Gai was telling the Lee some things to improve his jumps. It was advice that seemed to be useful because after a short while, Lee seemed to have had gotten into the swing of things. After a while, Tenten noticed that Lee actually had spectacular jumping ability when not hindered by his excess of speed. Hiruzen had explained in between that Gai was the first and only coach Lee ever had. The Gai-lookalike had a lovely knee bend as well as smooth flow across the ice, not unlike her own. (_Thank you, Hiruzen-_sensei.)

After about hour, Hiruzen spoke up. "C'mon, I'll take you to meet Gai," he said as he got up, leaving no room for argument.

"But— he's busy; I mean, won't he mind? This is so sudden—"

Tenten, bewildered by the old man for the second time in a day, nodded and got up after him. She waved and said a polite goodbye to the star-struck crowd of parents before exiting the room.

When they arrived at the edge of the rink, Hiruzen waved the green-clad coach over. "Tenten, this is Maito Gai," the Sarutobi patriarch introduced. "And Gai, this is Tenten. She's looking for a new coach."

Tenten looked at Hiruzen with surprise. She hadn't told him anything about her coaching plans. "How did you—"

Hiruzen held a hand up. "When you've been involved with skating for as long as I have, you just _know_," he said, smiling. "Besides, you just showed up out of the blue after four years, it's a little obvious."

"Oh, I suppose there's that," Tenten smiled sheepishly. "Hello, Lee!" she waved to the skater. He gave her a jovial wave back.

"Anyway, our little Tenten here is looking for a new coach," he said good-naturedly. "Personally, I was actually hoping you'd be open to it."

"AH! SO _YOU_ ARE TENTEN! It is nice to finally meet you, little lotus!" Gai exclaimed with a mega-watt smile, extending a hand towards her. "Please allow me the tiny please of introducing myself, I AM MAITO GAI, THE BEAUTIFUL GREEN BEAST OF KONOHA, and the Master of Fancy Footwork!"

Tenten, inwardly cowering from his overwhelming personality, smiled politely and shook his outstretched hand. _First "little heaven" and now "little lotus"? All these nicknames make me sound like a preteen rapper._ "It's nice to meet you too, Gai -_sensei_," she said. "It's a bit surreal, actually. I've only ever really seen you on TV when I was a kid!"

Gai laughed. It was a nice robust sound. "I've seen your skating and you're very good, but you're not using your talent to its full potential," he said candidly.

"…You think so?"

"If you allow me to, I can help you help you UNLEASH your flames of YOUTH," Gai continued, "so they may burn brightly forever! You will not be restrained!"

Resisting the urge to cringe at his over-the-top use of words, Tenten had yet to be convinced that Gai should be the coach for her. But as she thought about it, this was perhaps the push she needed, the restart on her career that would rejuvenate her. Tenten and Gai discussed her skating technique and current exercise regimen with Hiruzen wisely looking on. Despite his immensely strange characteristics, Tenten found herself slowly starting to respect Gai more with each bit of skating advice that left his mouth. It was obvious that this man knew his stuff and had an eye for detail.

She told him that much, but she also needed to consult with her parents as well. He seemed to understand and they agreed to talk some more at a later time.

Now that she had seemingly secured a new coach, she'd have to fire her old one.

This was going to be rather difficult.

**- - - x - - -**

_(15 May, Before the fifth season on the senior level)_

Tenten waited a little over a month to part ways with Madam Shijimi since there were little details she needed to work out between her, her parents, and Gai-_sensei._ Of course, Tenten had not been brave enough to cut ties with Madam Shijimi alone, so her mother went along as well. It was heartbreaking for Tenten, who had never had to fire anyone before. And despite their rocky relationship, Tenten was immensely thankful for everything Madam Shijimi had done for her in the past four years. Although she would always be indebted to one of world's best coaches for believing in her and taking her on as a student, she really did need a change. But in the end after lots of tears and hugs, it seemed that her former coach had understood and wished her the best.

"_So, I would like for you to tell me why you started skating and what your hope is for the future_."

Determined and compulsive, Maito Gai was by no means a lenient coach. He was similar to Madam Shijimi in that way; driven by goals he set for himself and others to be achieved. But that's pretty much where the similarities ended because Gai-_sensei_ was just something else _entirely_.

Madam Shijimi had been of the very old school style of skating. She commanded attention and demanded perfection; subconsciously, she had the need to control every single aspect of the skater's life until the skater depended on her for everything. Driven by the theatricality of operatic and ballet pieces, she constantly had a flair for the dramatics in the ways of style. She was strict, aggressive, and demanding; but at the same time, Tenten got to know her as somewhat of a caring matriarchal type. Strict, but caring nonetheless.

Gai-_sensei, _on the other hand, was an over-the-top personality with the style to match it. He had a knack for never giving up and setting impossible goals for him and his students to accomplish and was a training fiend who believed that goals could be achieved by hard work and determination. His hideous green jumpsuit was simple, but it seemed to encompass everything that he was: off-the-chart crazy. But even in his bouts of insanity, Tenten realized that Gai had a completely different style of teaching. Instead of producing a skater from a pre-made mold, he encouraged her and Lee to find their own styles of skating, what made them_ motivated_ about skating.

Her training partner, Rock Lee, was just as crazy, if not crazier. Together, he and Maito Gai formed a duo of training-fiends, always trying to out-do one another or better their personal bests. Despite this, Tenten found that this dynamic of theirs stoked a competitive fire that she hadn't had since she'd trained with Iruka-_sensei ._ Back then, she'd trained with three others, all of whom had been prospects to go to the elite level; they'd all try to out-do one another and be the "star pupil".

With Madam Shijimi, Tenten had been the only one out of the coach's pupil who was "going somewhere" in their careers, so oftentimes Tenten would automatically have Madam Shijimi's attention when she needed it. With Gai and Lee however, Tenten felt that she'd have to work extra hard to "get on their level"; even after a week, she found that some of her skating techniques had slowly begun to change and improve. Her competitive streak was continually being pulled out of her daily with the need to better herself with her training-mate.

"Like, my goals?" Tenten asked.

"I would like to go first!" Lee exclaimed excitedly, assuming an upright position after re-lacing his boots and fixing his orange leg-warmers. Tenten found it odd for him to want to tell Gai-_sensei_ his dreams so much, considering that Lee had trained under Gai since he was a little boy. Wouldn't Gai-_sensei _know Lee's aspirations by now?

"YOSH! Tell us your dreams, Lee!"

"I want to be a great skater! Even when I was born with a physical disorder, I managed to overcome it and skate at the elite level! Now I want to prove further that I can be a World Champion skater!"

"Physical disorder?" Tenten blurted out, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Lee was born with club foot," Gai-_sensei_ patiently explained, still in that loud booming voice of his. "Essentially, he could not walk without assistance because his feet were _severely_ deformed, so his parents signed him up for skating lessons as therapy."

"The other kids laughed at me, but that made me even more determined! Gai-_sensei_ was there to show me the way and said that I could be anything I wanted to be with hard work and determination!"

"I saw the fire of youth burning within you, the same one that burned in me in my youth! I could not let that opportunity pass!"

"And Gai-_sensei_ was right! I worked hard and overcame my disability! Gai-_sensei!_"

"Lee!"

"Gai-_sensei!_"

"Tenten!"

"… Huh?" Tenten was momentarily taken aback.

"What are your dreams? What sparked an interest in skating within you?"

"Well," Tenten started timidly, "when I was little, I really wanted to be Lady Tsunade because I watched tapes of her performances and she was just so pretty and wonderful and _awesome._ And I just—I really want to be like that …

"As for long-term goals, I want to win the Olympic Gold medal. I've already achieved my dream of going to the Olympics, but ever since I was a little girl, watching Mitarashi Anko compete against Yakushi Kabuko, I've always wanted to win an Olympic figure skating gold medal for Fire Country."

"A noble pursuit," Gai nodded approvingly. "Reaching Tsunade is a good goal point for you to set! Mitarashi Anko though … she's mean."

"Eh?"

"Nothing, nothing," Gai laughed jovially. "Now that we've got that over with, I want us to skate five-hundred laps around the rink within an hour!"

"YOSH! GAI-_SENSEI!_ I WILL DO ONE THOUSAND!"

"TWO THOUSAND!"

"… _Kami, _you're joking. Surely, you must all be joking."

**- - - x - - -**

After two weeks spent training with Gai, Tenten understood why Lee was Gai's only current student.

Tenten unceremoniously flopped down on her bed, spreading her arms and legs out, tired after the day's practice runs. Her legs were marred by blotches of black and blue from the copious amounts of jumps, spins, footwork passes, and running she'd been doing. Even as an avid Pilates and yoga practitioner, Tenten swore her body hurt in places that had never hurt before. Her ankles were swollen to the size of elephant trunks (_is this how pregnant women felt_?), her abs hurt, her hip flexor muscles hurt, and hell, her eardrums hurt from the nonstop directions and exclamations of YOUTH she had taken from Gai-_sensei_.

But really, it was actually pretty frickin' amazing how much she felt she'd accomplished. She used to think that her work ethic was pretty solid—she been commended on it time and time again—but ner new training partner was _relentless_ when it came to down to it. Not that her coach was any better. They were both training fiends!

But as embarrassing as they could be, both Gai-_sensei_ and Lee were such personalities that her outlook on training had taken a more positive turn.

Groaning face-first into her pillow, she let her body melt into her memory foam mattress, determined to let sleep take over.

"What a picture of perfection."

Tenten turned her head towards the door at the sound of Neji's voice. "Glad to see you know what it looks like," she said sarcastically. "Who let you in?"

Neji was casually leaning against the doorframe with a thoughtful look on his face, arms crossed. "Your father did," he answered. "I came by to pick something up as per my aunt's request." Tenten rolled over to the other side of her bed as she heard her bed springs creak and her mattress dipping below his weight. "Long day?"

Tenten answered with a grunt from her pillow before lifting her face up. "You have no idea. We're still changing my off-ice exercise regimen. Gai-_sensei _says my skating technique is pretty good, but there are some things he wants to fix. But _Kami_, I am sore in places I didn't even know I could be!" she complained, groaning into the pillow once more.

"So is he as good as they say?"

"Definitely," Tenten answered. "You'd never tell just by looking at him, but I definitely know why he's still known as the Master of Fancy Footwork now. It's insane. He takes these little steps and he weaves them so together so intricately and rapidly, like quick-fire. His footwork sequences are pretty much woven together seamlessly! I swear, if we were comparing footwork sequences of current amateur skaters to his, he'd win. Even though he's been retired for like, twenty years; hands down, no doubt about it, he is the best."

"That was one area you said you wanted to improve."

"Yep! And I've found a damn good teacher for that. He's freaking crazy, Neji, but you can't help but respect him. He actually does practice runs with us; it's insane. He can't stand just being a spectator. I honestly think he believes we'll work harder if he jumps right in and practices with us."

"I see. Have you showered?"

"Mhmm," Tenten replied. "Otherwise I wouldn't smell so nice. I don't know whether I should be flattered that you think I smell like mango blossoms and shit even after a long practice session, or insulted that you can't tell the difference."

"You cannot smell like both, Tenten. It must be either mango blossoms or fecal matter. Or perhaps a scented spray to cover up the odor."

"Ugh, I can't even," Tenten half-heartedly pushed him. "Just—just shut up."

Neji directed his gaze to her legs. "Your ankles are bruised."

"I feel like a pregnant woman, except without the baby," she said as she rubbed her abdomen. "My legs feel so swollen. You know what though?"

Neji raised a regal brow.

"You'd be an amazing person if you decided to give me a backrub," Tenten suggested, flopping back on her stomach.

"No."

"Why not?" Tenten asked. "It's a chance of a lifetime, dear. Teenage boys all over the world can only dream of this moment."

Neji would've snorted if it wasn't so undignified. "Then I have been presented with way too many chances in this lifetime," he retorted.

"I don't see a problem with that."

"You are setting yourself to be taken advantage of, Ten."

"Not by you. You'd never do such a thing."

"How do you know?"

"Because you_ wouldn't._"

He sighed.

"I knew you'd come around," she remarked. "It's because I'm fabulous." Tenten felt her bed shift again as Neji swung his legs over from the edge of the bed and set to work on the knots in her back. She suppressed a gasp as his hands began working at the base of her neck. "Not there, lower. Yes, that's better. How was your day?"

"Class, then library," Neji replied, his hands applying more pressure to her shoulder blades.

"So your life lacks meaning without me," Tenten said with a lazy grin. "Do that again," she added.

"Of course. Every time I am with you, I am bathed in your angelic light as you bless me with your kindness. I am ever-so humbled by your presence," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Tenten replied. She spun around and lightly smacked him in the arm after he applied a little more pressure than necessary. "Ow! That hurt! You suck at this!"

"Oh?" he said and raised an eyebrow. "I will take my leave now," he shrugged, pulling his hands away and moving off the bed. "Good night―"

"Hey!" Tenten exclaimed, grabbing his wrist before he could even set his socks on the carpet. "I'm just kidding! Stay!" she said as she coaxed him back into his sitting position.

"Why?"

Tenten turned her head and flashy him a cheesy smile. "Because I'm your best friend and I'll love you forever and ever?" she offered.

"Not worth it."

"I have such a useless best friend."

"And you are a vicious hellcat."

"Neji!"

He dodged the pillow that she threw at his head and smirked. Regardless, his fingers began running across the surface of her skin in patterns and Tenten let out a content purr as he worked on her shoulders.

A peculiar tingle propagated down his spine at the sound. For a while, they sat in silence, excitement slowly abating. Tenten flipped herself back onto her stomach, laying in a more comfortable position on her pillow.

"When are you going to Tanzaku Gai for the _Mizukage_ shoot?" Neji asked as she worked on a particularly tight knot on her back.

"Next week. I still can't believe Terumi Mei personally suggested that I be the official spokesperson for the brand after her contract was over."

"It is only natural, from one talented skater to another."

"I wish," Tenten laughed. "I think Shō Ao will be in it with me, actually."

"The swimmer?"

"Yeah."

"Hn." The almost-imperceptible tension that arose in his hands betrayed the casual tone of his voice. If Tenten were any other person, she would've missed it.

"Neji? What is it?"

"Nothing important."

"Obviously it is, or you wouldn't be tensed up."

"It is nothing," he insisted.

Tenten sighed. Neji was nothing if not stubborn; his personality could be a bit stiff sometimes. But Tenten was also his best friend and possibly the only person who could deal with him when he was like this. So she turned her head and looked up to him; her determined coffee-colored eyes boring into his liquid silver ones. After a minute or so of silent staring, Tenten looked away and tucked her head back onto her pillow.

She was too tired to argue anyway; yawning instead. "My calves are still kinda sore," she said, lightly sliding her hands up from the side of her thighs to scratch her back.

As his pearly eyes followed her hand's slow ascent up her toned legs, Neji closed his eyes, fighting the heat creeping up his cheeks. Tenten's hand stopped at her lower back, where her night shirt rode up a little, exposing her back dimples. That little sliver of skin looked so smooth… His eyes observed how the base of her spine curved inward as she―

"Neji," she sleepily called out, her profile against the pillow. "You don't have to do it if you're tired," she yawned again, picking up on the slowing of his movements.

At her voice, the young man snapped back to reality, fondly watching as his best friend brought her hands up to her eyes and tried to rub the sleep away. Her eyelids fought to stay open, fluttering open and shut. Silently, he continued his ministrations on her legs, hoping they would aid her in falling asleep. She seemed quite exhausted after the day's events; and he wasn't about to delay her much-needed and deserved sleep time. Carefully with his fingers and palms, he gently soothed all her knots away, applying firmer pressure on particularly tense areas.

Drifting between sleep and consciousness, Tenten felt absolutely at ease and her eyelids slowly fluttered shut. With one last satisfied purr, she drifted off into dreamscape, breathing lightly against her pillow.

When at last he was absolutely sure that she'd fallen completely asleep, Neji stopped running his fingers on her back and lifted the blankets onto her body. Pressing a feather-light kiss on her forehead, he slipped out of the room, shutting off the lights.

* * *

******Edited: **05 July 2013

****Due to school, I won't be updating for a while. :( Sorry about that.**

(Also, congrats to Ashley Wagner for winning her second GP assignment this season. NHK Trophy next featuring Mao Asada and others and then the Grand Prix Final after!)

**Note:** For those who have read and are familiar with _Of Triple Jumps and Falling in Love_, yes, I did reuse some parts of a chapter in this one.

**Fun Fact: **Lee's early childhood was based on that of American figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, who had been born with _Club foot_, a congenital deformity involving either one or both feet. She received treatment and therapy for it when she was a baby and eventually became the 1992 Olympic Champion; pretty amazing for someone who didn't even know if she could ever walk on plain ground properly.

**Song:** "A Hard Day's Night" by The Beatles


	4. Let's Talk About

(Posted: 12/21/2012.)

This chapter is absolutely _NOT_ what you are thinking based on the title.

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**04. LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX**

.

"_Let's talk about sex for now to the people at home or in the crowd_

_It keeps coming up anyhow_

_Don't decoy, avoid, or make void the topic_

_Cuz that ain't gonna stop it_

_Now we talk about sex on the radio and video shows_

_Many will know anything goes_

_Let's tell it how it is, and how it could be_

_How it was, and of course, how it should be_."

* * *

_"Part of Ms. Kwan's commercial success can be traced to a reputation rare among well-known women her age. Her name does not surface in gossip columns or police reports. Her picture has never appeared in Penthouse magazine, nor has she made an appearance on Celebrity Boxing, as the skater Tonya Harding has done. What most of her fans know of her personal life is usually limited to her supportive family and California background."_

**From "Even With No Gold Medal, Michelle Kwan Is Golden to Marketers" by Julie Bosman for the**_** New York Times**_** (December 27, 2005)**

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, late May)**

_(30 April, Before the fifth season on the senior level)_

"Close your eyes."

Tenten did as she was told. Almost immediately, she felt the soft strokes of an eyeshadow brush dust over her left lid first, and then her right. Judging from the light tapping noises coming from the front, Tenten surmised that the makeup artist was switching to another color palette. After about fifteen minutes, Tenten was free to see uninhibited again.

"Very pretty."

The artist had created the simplest of illusions using a palette of black, grey, and ivory, contouring her eyes by increasing their intensity to make her look more dramatic. Her eyes seemed a little more rounded than normal, making them appear a little wider than usual. Her hair had been pulled back into a simple French twist, and cat ears had been added to the top of her head. With her hair and makeup done, she had been whisked away to wear a couture strapless high-low dress; party in the front with a long train in the back.

She was spending the day in Tanzaku Gai, about a three-hour flight from Konoha, to film a new commercial for a new perfume from _Mizukage_, a prominent Water Country-based cosmetics brand and one of her newer endorsements. She had been chosen to be the new international face of the brand; rumored to have been personally recommended by former figure skater and spokesmodel Terumi Mei, and was joined by a fellow Olympic athlete. As Tenten approached the area in which she was to be filmed, she got a closer look at her co-star.

Sakura was right about his ass_,_ Tenten thought, smirking to herself. As she neared him, she made sure she wasn't smiling like a pervert. It would just make the entire day awkward if she'd been caught staring.

He was a swimmer, one of Water Country's better ones, Tenten knew. He had been virtually unknown four years ago at the Earth Country Summer Olympics, but was thrust into the spotlight when he qualified for, and won, two events. Granted, they were team efforts (the 4×200-meter freestyle relay and the 4×200-meter medley relay), but his toned physique and statuesque height (over six feet tall!) quickly won him admirers.

Needless to say, those Water Country boys were good at swimming.

Fast forward almost four years, and the twenty-three year-old's popularity had not diminished. He was favored to medal, if not win in six different events in about two months (the Summer Olympics were to be in Sky Country later in the year). Either way, the international media could not get enough of him for weeks leading up to the the Summer Olympics. Tenten suspected that the Water Country media were ready to dub him the "nation's boyfriend" later in August if the expected results came true.

And the ass, Sakura had not been able to shut up about that ass. _Seriously_.

"Hi, I'm Tenten. Ryu Tenten," she introduced, extending a manicured hand.

"Shō Ao," he said, shaking her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tenten."

_A firm handshake. Exudes confidence, this one._

His hair was a light blue-green, not unlike the color of the sea. The strands peeked out from underneath his dark gray fedora. He'd been dressed in a crisp white dress shirt done up with a red tie that was underneath a matching gray blazer and slacks. He was considerably taller than she was; if she had to guess, it would be about a little over six feet. Even under the dress shirt, she could tell that this guy was _built_. Her eyes raked over this guy's frame, and she relished in the well-defined muscles that were apparent even from underneath his clothes. This was indubitably the man who was known for his monstrous speed during the latter stages of his races; capable of one last burst of alarming speed that guaranteed him a medal, if not the title.

But it wasn't the remarkably toned body or the sea-colored hair that struck Tenten the most.

It was the color of his eyes. _Heterochromia iridum_.

His left eye was a steel blue, a darker shade of the color, which conveyed a sort of mysteriousness. Tenten felt like he could well have been staring into her soul. But his right eye; it unnerved her, because staring back at her was a familiar mix of silver and lavender.

_They look so much like Neji's eyes. The Hyuuga trademark._

A million different thoughts rushed into Tenten's head at that moment and she closed her eyes to gather herself and push them away.

_Could there be eyes like those in Water Country as well?_

"Tenten? Are you alright?"

_No, no._

"Yes!" Tenten exclaimed, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "Yes, I'm fine. It's, um, these shoes. It seems no one has broken them in yet."

"Ah. I see," he responded, nodding his head. "So…"

"Hm?" Tenten blinked, biting her lower lip.

"Nothing, nothing."

"O-kay," she answered, a little puzzled.

"Sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm usually more eloquent than this. Friends tell me I'm a little hard-edged and socially awkward when it comes to meeting new people."

"Well, the way you didn't stutter when you said that last sentence seems to indicate otherwise," Tenten said, giving him a teasing smile. He was kind of adorable. "Don't worry; I think you're doing just fine."

"Yeah?" he laughed; it was a throaty sound. "I'm relieved. It's not every day a guy gets to meet a woman like you. I mean, like, _wow._ Apologies, I probably sound a little creepy right now, don't I?"

"Wow? What do you mean 'wow'?" Tenten asked amusedly. "If you don't remember, _you're_ _Shō Ao. _I hear the women in Water Country have quite the _feelings_ for you. Little ol' me has got nothin' on you."

"But you're _Ryū Tenten_! You're gorgeous, you're popular, athletic, and a student of a prestigious university … you're rather amazing, if I do say so myself."

Tenten laughed. He seemed to be a good mix of confidence and suaveness.

"I could say the same about you," Tenten smiled kindly. "Everything you just said about me pretty much applies to you as well."

Tenten's statement caused Ao to pause and think. "Oh. I suppose it does. In that case … hello, I'm Shō Ao, and I'm rather amazing."

His epiphany caused them to look at each other and burst out laughing until the director called them over to discuss the agenda for the day.

She would play _Kiri Kiri_, the physical embodiment of the _eau de parfum_ of the same name, and a name based on the location where the brand originated. The "story" would take place against an artificial backdrop of Tanzaku Gai and exhibit a sort of sophisticated and sensual quality. The director told her that she'd have to "call on and embrace her inner kitty" to play the role, hence the faux black cat ears atop her head. She would attract her admirer, Ao, with her audacious and mischievous charm while remaining aloof and flirtatious at the same time. A long, pink ribbon that she would "play" with, not unlike the one on the actual perfume bottle, would be CGI'ed into the commercial.

As the morning progressed, Tenten found that Ao had actually been planning to temporarily move to Fire Country to take a break from swimming. He needed a change in scenery, he explained, and he wanted to see if finishing school abroad in Fire Country would broaden his perspective on things. She also discovered that this was Ao's first time filming this kind of commercial. Many of his endorsements were sports-based; mainly those for athletic wear, which meant that he was used to posing and exuding society's idea of masculinity. Tenten, on the other hand, had more variety in her endorsements, which had given her a well-rounded portfolio of sorts.

"No, no! Don't run, Tenten! You need to slow down, like to a slow gallop!"

"Like … a horse?" Tenten asked the director, immensely puzzled.

"No! Like a slow jog. Look back playfully once or twice, like you are teasing your pursuer to follow you in hopes of catching you!"

"I thought that was what I'd been doing," Tenten mumbled, only loud enough for the person next to her to hear.

Her co-star laughed and patted her on the shoulder sympathetically. "I'm so glad I'm not a girl."

Ao's role has been easy enough; all he had to do was stand there and lean against the balustrade. Tenten would then appear in front of him, leaving him bewildered. Tenten had had to run across a hallway, up and down a flight of stairs, swing her legs on a makeshift rooftop, and hang upside down. For a thirty-second commercial, it had actually been quite a lot of work.

By the time they had finished filming, it was way past noon. The sun barely beginning to set when they left the studio. The sky was turning a striking shade of orange, pink, and purple; this reflected the atmosphere that the director had wanted for the commercial, except that had been done artificially.

"So what are you up to now?"

Tenten turned to look beside her. "I'm actually going to have dinner with a friend. She goes to school here and I told her I'd meet her up."

"She pretty?"

"Very pretty," Tenten laughed. "Absolutely stunning, in fact. In middle school, a guy had actually come up to her and told her she had hair that shined like the moon and stars."

"Those are some poetic words."

"That's exactly what I'd said back then!" she exclaimed and the two of them laughed. "So what were your plans for the rest of the day?"

Ao shrugged. "Most likely go back to my hotel room and order something from room service," he replied indifferently. "Then I'll watch a movie or two and fall asleep. Haven't really done that in a while."

"Sounds … fun," Tenten said as positively as she could.

"That's a day in the life of me, all right."

Tenten shared a laugh with him. "You know, I don't think my friend would mind if you came to eat with us. She'd be ecstatic, in fact."

"Really? Well, I don't want to intrude—"

"Nonsense," she waved. "Can't have you wilting away in a hotel room in such a beautiful city. It's my duty to show you how awesome Fire Country is compared to Water Country. Besides, you can practice some self-loving to a movie some _other_ day."

—

"_I was raised in a single-parent household; my mom raised me herself and I never knew my father."_

Tenten crossed her legs, fixing her plain maroon flats under the table as she reached for the porcelain teacup. She was sitting a corner of a popular restaurant atop a department store, with access to an amazing view. Around her, the restaurants patrons were talking loudly amongst themselves. Taking a sip of jasmine tea, she looked out the window to a concrete and steel jungle. Tall skyscrapers and old historical buildings filled the background of downtown Tanzaku Gai, reflecting the diminishing sunlight off their gleaming windows and creating a contrasting picture of old and new. Enormous electronic signs flashed every few seconds, distracting quite a few camera-wielding tourists below. People were rushing on the sidewalks and lines of colorful cars moved slowly, stopping before red lights and impatient jaywalkers.

As she saw little flashes out of the corner of her eye, she turned her attention back on the sidewalk. A group of paparazzi were busy hounding what looked to be a man and a woman, surrounding them while snapping pictures. Tenten had been told by her friend that a period drama was being filmed at the famed Tanzaku Castle. The pair was too far away for Tenten to make out who they were, but she figured they were most likely a celebrity couple. She could certainly empathize, but they definitely had it much harder than she did. The sports world had its fair share of high-flying celebrities, but she usually did not have to constantly deal with loads of cameras in her face during time off the ice.

Turning her attention across the street, she could see workers above a department store preparing to put up a new billboard poster over a current one. The ad in question had been a part of a cosmetics company's (_Hyoton_; also based in Water Country and major rival of_ Mizukage)_ campaign to put a vintage line of "Ice Release" fragrances back on the markets. It had featured speed-skating sensation Haku―no last name needed―and champion gymnast-turned successful actor Momochi Zabuza, both of whom, Tenten knew, Sakura was dying to meet; she always did have a thing for bad boys. Tenten, on the other hand, had been fortunate to meet Haku once or twice (they were both part of the same international skating federation after all) and she wouldn't be the first to admit that he had some _pretty nice_ legs.

"You mother must be an incredible woman," Tenten replied kindly. "To have supported you throughout your swimming career while she raised you alone must've been tough on her."

"Yeah," he agreed, in disbelief himself. "She was pretty much my all-in-one in terms of a permanent support system. Well, except for the coaching part; she left that to the professionals. Though, I have to admit, she was the one to teach me how to swim."

"It paid off in the end," she laughed. "How many gold medals did you get in the last Olympics?"

"A lot," he joked. "After the additional endorsements came flooding in afterwards; gave me enough to be able to treat her to something big for once."

"Yeah, I read somewhere you bought her a house?"

"Waterfront property. She's always dreamed of living somewhere with a direct view of the ocean; now she can do that every day. She married my step-father three years ago, so at least she won't be alone in that big ol' fancy place. Anyway, enough about me. How about you?"

"My mom's in dance and my dad does construction. I know, it's a pretty odd match if you ask me, or anyone else for that matter, but they make it work 'cause they love each other so much. Anyway, I did _try_ to buy them a house, but they _really_ like the one they've got—my dad put _so_ much work into it— so I bought them new cars instead."

"You're lucky," Ao said, not bitterly. "I hear skating costs a ton of money though. That true?"

"Oh yeah, _totally_," Tenten replied immediately. "It's a lot of money for a little bit of fluff and frills. I remember coming down the stairs when I was thirteen to find my parents arguing whether or not to sell the house. It was really hard on them; I definitely felt a lot of guilt that they were throwing down so much money just to have me achieve a childish dream."

"That's definitely something I can understand. If it weren't for foundations and benefactors, I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Yes, yes," Tenten agreed enthusiastically. "But for me, it still wasn't enough until Hyuuga Hiashi stepped in. I owe him a lot."

"Hyuuga Hiashi?" Ao asked, with a slight tilt in his voice. "As in Lord Hyuuga?"

"That's the one," Tenten confirmed. "I'm surprised you know people in Fire Country so well. My mom and his wife are pretty close. His daughters are good friends of mine and his nephew is my best friend too. Anyway, Neji couldn't keep his mouth shut—which seems kind of unusual for him when you first meet him, but once you get to know him, you'll find out that he can tell people things without actually _saying _anything—after I spilled my guts to him about the money situation, so trust me, it was a complete shock when Hiashi-_sama_ called the house one day to offer to help out.

"My parents were able to keep the house and I was able to afford higher quality things and work with more experienced people to better my skating. With all the endorsements that came rolling in after my Olympic bronze and the World champion after that—I'm sorry, I'm not trying to brag, I swear—I've been able to pay the Hyuugas back."

"That's … amazing," Ao said speechlessly. "So are all Hyuugas that charitable or what? I'm sorry, I must seem very nosy right now…"

"Hah!" Tenten forced a laugh from her chest. "No, no—I just … nevermind. A lot of them walk around like they have sticks up their asses. I think it might be the whole old money-monarchy thing, but a lot of them are pretentious, I'm not going to lie. That's why I was super-surprised when Hiashi offered to help.

"He's an intimidating presence, sure, but he's definitely got a compassionate side that surprised the hell out of me. But pride? That definitely comes in spades."

Ao interest was picqued. "Well, do you know if—"

"Hello, hello! I'm so sorry I'm late!" a feminine voice called out. "My class went into overtime!"

"You okay there?" Tenten asked, watching amusedly as her friend hurriedly took her seat across from her. "But it's okay. We haven't ordered yet."

"Yeah, I can't wait to get back to Konoha," Ino groaned. "The food here can't compare. Care to remind me— _Whoa_. Um, hello."

"Hi," Ao grinned amusedly. "I'm Ao."

"I'm … Ino," the blonde girl replied, still in shock. "Tenten, you didn't tell me you brought … a friend."

"I didn't text you? That's an 'oops' on my part. Sorry!" Tenten replied, trying to hide the smirk that was threatening to take over her face. Ino definitely commented positively on his appearance during the broadcasts of the swimming events in the past Olympics.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Tenten said it was okay—"

"Oh, no! That's not what I meant! I'm not overtly fond of surprises, but really, you can stay. I honestly don't mind!"

"Are you—"

"Yes!" Ino exclaimed immediately. "Erm, I mean, yes. I'm sure. I like meeting new people," she smiled.

"So, did you guys … um, have a nice shoot?" Ino asked, tucking her hair behind her ear a little more than usual.

"Can't complain," Ao answered. "Your friend here is good at that. I don't really know why I was invited to be part of it in the first place. I pretty much stood there the whole time. Anyway, don't let me get in the way; I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do."

"No, no; don't really want to neglect you—"

"I'm been talking about myself for the past ten minutes; honestly, don't let me get in your way."

"Alright then, if you insist!" Ino laughed.

"So how are you? How's the figure skating thing going?" she asked Tenten.

"Green jumpsuits. Green jumpsuits _everywhere_," Tenten said, shaking her head. "Lee and Gai-_sensei_ still haven't given up on wanting me to wear one to practice! I've got three in the back of my closet. Gai-_sensei_ seems to think I've kept losing them, so he keeps giving me more!"

"You should show to up to practice at the Grand Prix Final in them," Ino laughed openly. "I'm sure you'd freak the shit out of everyone."

"I think everyone would think I'd gone off the deep end, actually," Tenten muttered. "I'd have to lose my mind completely if I were to wear that blasted thing!"

"Should start accessorizing it with fuzzy orange legwarmers," Ino replied. "Make sure they're all decked out in rhinestones too; it'd make you a big hit with the judges watching the practice sessions."

"I am not going out in public and looking like a bedazzled carrot with an oversized green top."

"Oh _Kami-sama_!" Ino laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. "_Bedazzled carrot_!"

"Thank you so, so much for laughing at my misery," Tenten said sarcastically. "Bitch."

"You're very welcome," Ino replied with a cheeky smile. "I heard from Sakura that Kiba and Matsuri are considering getting back together or something?"

"Sakura told you what?" Tenten asked skeptically. She chanced a look at Ao; he was doing something on his phone and failing miserably to keep a confused expression off his face. "No, I don't think so."

"Hey, that's what she told me. I honestly haven't _properly_ talked to any of you since the summer. And the only person I know from our circle who goes to Tanzaku with me is Shino, and you know how remarkably tight-lipped he is!" Ino complained.

"I'm one-hundred percent sure Kiba's not getting back together with her. I'm pretty sure that if there were any talk about getting back together, it would _definitely_ be on her part and not on his."

"You sure though? The last time I saw them together, they were joined to the hip."

"You weren't there when he was throwing up his guts saying he was done. Besides, you know he doesn't talk to any of his exes after his break-ups," Tenten snorted. "Actually, I think you're the exception to the rule."

"Seriously, Tenten?"

"What? I still think you and Kiba should've been together forever."

"You're never going to drop that, are you?" Ino said, giving her a look. "We were _twelve_ and we dated for six months. That's pretty much "forever" when you're a preteen."

"The day you two broke up was the day I stopped believing in true love."

"You must lead an immensely sad existence," Ino patted her hand reassuringly. "We've got to take you out more."

"Aha-ha-ha-ha!" Tenten mock-laughed. "You've been telling me that since we were thirteen."

"And it's still true."

"Touché."

At that moment a waiter came over to take their order. Ino had ordered the particularly tempting braised pork shoulder with mashed cauliflowers and Ao had ordered a gigantic steak and mashed potatoes plate. Tenten had opted for a small mixed greens salad with no dressing.

But Ino, of course, would have none of that.

"Actually, she'll upgrade that to a medium and have that with thinly-sliced, char-roasted tri-tip steak on top and blue cheese dressing on the side, please," Ino cut in. "And a glass of fresh tomato juice."

The young waiter looked at Tenten, confused. "Um, is that what you want?"

As one of Tenten's closest friends, Ino was privy to some of her secrets. In this case, it was one that afflicted almost all elite skaters in the sport and something Ino herself had battled when she was a teenager, but being as she hardly faced the same expectations that were demanded of Tenten, she had been able to recover from it relatively quickly.

Tenten sighed, giving in. She would just have to work out for thing tomorrow morning. "Yes, I'll have that, please. Thank you."

"Oh," Ao cut in as the waiter was walking away. "I have to get this," he pointed at his ringing phone. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Of course," Tenten nodded.

After the he left, she cleared her throat. "So how are you and Nadare? I haven't seen that smug idiot in a while."

Ino sighed, biting her lip. "I freaking cried for two hours last night."

"What? Why?" Tenten asked in concern. "Did something happen?"

_"He is so stupid!"_

"…Ino?"

"I went to his place last night, just to stay the night like I do sometimes. I had a long day; I was just really tired and I wanted to sleep at his place. And like, he comes up to me just as I enter the door and he starts kissing me like he usually does, you know?"

"Yeah …"

"At first, it's like 'okay, whatever, this is nice' but then he starts getting more aggressive by pushing us towards the bedroom and that's when I know he wanted to have sex. But I was just so tired, and I really just wanted to go to bed and I nudged him off of me and I told him that."

"But as soon as I tell him that, he gets all offended, like he just makes this disgusted face like he's upset with me. I asked him what was wrong and you know what he says to me?"

"Oh, dear_ …_"

"Freaking, ugh. I can't believe he even said that—"

"What did he say, Ino?" Tenten asked, increasingly concerned.

"He said that since he was my boyfriend and I was his girlfriend, he expected a 'maximum effort' from me to please him. I can't even—I freaking told him I was exhausted and that he can't seriously expect me to be able to have sex with him every time he wants me to. Like, that's not even remotely possible!"

"_Are you kidding me?_ _That asshole said that to you?!_ Gracious, I always knew that guy was a bastard._"_

"Yes! H-he told me that even if I couldn't make the maximum, he expected me to give him as close to one hundred percent as possible. He talked to me like I was an object for him to have sex with, Tenten! I'm his girlfriend, not some _whore!_

"And then he started talking about his ex-grilfriend. Like, who the hell does that? He was all like, 'oh, she did a better job at this you are right now' and other things like that. _Do you know how that made me feel?_

"I mean, it's not like I'd slept with a ton of guys before him," Ino took a deep breath, keeping her tears at bay. "Nadare's the only one I've ever had sex with; he's the guy I lost my virginity to. I even made him _wait a year_ into our relationship to take that step. So I cried in his room for two hours and he just left after an hour to watch TV in the living room; he said he didn't want to listen to my excuses."

"_What the hell? _Did that asshole suddenly just flip a switch and become like this?"

"No, I don't know. I mean, he's been increasingly like, adamant about sex in the past year, but he's never been like this."

"Ino, I know you don't want to hear this, but you have to break up with this guy," Tenten said, shaking her head. "He's not a good person."

"I know, but we've been going out for two years. That's a really long time, and I just hope that he'll come around. Tenten, I know you've never really liked him and you've only put up with him because of me, but I can't let the bad cloud my judgment on the good, right?"

"No," Tenten said firmly. "You can't let the good cloud your judgment on the bad things he's done. Ino, what if he gets increasingly more like this? I seriously don't doubt that he's always had that kind of mindset!"

"I don't know; I just need to figure some things out. This is all so complicated …"

"Have you told Shikamaru or Chouji?"

"No!" Ino exclaimed. "No, and I don't plan to. Tenten, you have to promise not to tell them. Just let me handle this on my own, okay?"

"Ino—"

"Tenten, _please_," Ino begged. "Just let me handle this on my own, okay? Please, please don't tell them. I don't want anything stupid to happen. Because, what if this is all a misunderstanding and you know how they can get—"

"Dammit, Ino! That's not how a guy is supposed to treat a girl he adores! You don't deserve to be treated that way, misunderstanding or not!"

"You think I don't know that? I don't _need_ their help. I can resolve these issues _on my own_," Ino declared. "I'm not some damsel-in-distress waiting for a boy to come and save her, okay? So just _please,_ trust me on this."

"Ino—"

"_Please,_ Tenten," Ino pleaded, her blue eyes boring into Tenten's. "_Please,_ just let me handle it."

Tenten sighed and closed her eyes. Ino was one of the best people she knew; kind, confident, resolute, and outspoken. Therefore, it was difficult to wrap her head around the idea of Ino staying for a man who held so little regard for her. _Why is she choosing to stay with this egoistical bastard? _

But like so many of Tenten's other friends, she knew Ino was stubborn as hell.

"Fine," Tenten said hesistantly.

"And that means _no telling Neji either_. I know how you are, Tenten. You guys are like _this_," Ino added, crossing two fingers together. "_If you tell Neji, he's going to tell Shika_ …"

Tenten reluctantly assented once again. "Fine, but if he pulls any more stupid shit like this, all bets are off and I'm bypassing Neji and I'll be going _straight_ to Nara, Akimichi, _and _Sakura."

"Yeah," Ino said quietly. "I know."

The duo sat quietly at their table for a few minutes afterward. Tenten was still fuming silently over the mistreatment of one of her closest childhood friends; how could anyone treat someone like Ino that way? How could anyone treat anyone else that way? Although Ino hadn't said it, Tenten suspected that Nadare had been verbally abusive for a while.

She just wished her friend would have the courage to walk away before he broke her spirit.

"So, did I miss anything?" Ao asked as he made his way back to the table.

"Not in particular," Tenten answered slowly. "Business call?"

"Yep," Ao answered. "It was my agent wanting to talk about another endorsement deal."

"Ah," Tenten nodded. "Anyway, I was thinking … Ino, why don't you show Ao around the city after dinner?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Ino said in surprise. "I could take you guys to a dessert house after dinner if you like—"

"Actually, I'm going back to the hotel after this; I've got an early morning flight back to Konoha tomorrow morning," Tenten said coyly. "So it'll just be you two."

"Oh, I mean—"

"Ooh! Look! Food's here!"

* * *

**Edited:** 05 July 2013

Chapter 614 does not exist. What is this chapter 614 you speak of?

**Links in profile:** (1) YouTube video of the commercial that Tenten filmed with Ao (see Note #2).

**Note #1:** Verbal/emotional abuse is still abuse. "Nadare" is "Rouga Nadare," one of the antagonists of the first Naruto movie, _Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow_.

**Note #2: **The commercial that Tenten and Ao are starring in is actually based on a real one. It about thirty seconds long and can be found on YouTube. (_Ricci Ricci Perfume _featuring Jessica Stam, a well-known model.)

**Note #3:** Ino is portrayed as a "slutty" girl or "one of _those_ girls" in fanfics so much. :(

**Song/Theme:** "Let's Talk About Sex" by Salt-N-Pepa


	5. Longing for the Spring Breeze

(Posted: 01/19/2013.)

_Congratulations to the five-time World champion (and the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history) __**Michelle Kwan**__ who got married today (January 19, 2013)!_

_She looked absolutely stunning in her (presumably) Vera Wang wedding dress! :D_

_Love her!_

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**05. LONGING FOR THE SPRING BREEZE **

**(****望春風****)**

"_I sit alone under a lamp, the breeze of spring blowing on my face_

_About seventeen, eighteen, yet unmarried; I think of a young man _

_He has a handsome face and a fair complexion_

_ Which family is he from? _

_I want to ask, but am afraid of being embarrassed, _

_My heart beats like a _pipá_ …"_

* * *

_"All those years of skating and dancing have carried over. I can't design anything without thinking of how a woman's body will look and move when she's wearing it." _

******—**Vera Wang, fashion designer and former figure skater

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, end of June to end of July)**

**Former world champion Ryū Tenten leaves Madam Shijimi**

By Tatami Iwashi_, _June 15

KONOHAKAGURE, Fire Country. (AP) – Five-time F.C. National champion and former World champion Ryū Tenten announced yesterday that she had parted ways with her coach.

Ryū, one of the headliners of the Fire Country-leg of All-Stars on Ice, announced last week she will train with four-time World champion Maito Gai, who also coaches two-time World bronze medalist Rock Lee, after four years with Madam Shijimi. Ryū says she needed "a change in her skating" after finishing a disappointing 8th at the world championships in March.

She won her only gold at the F.C. Figure Skating Championships last season, struggling to find the same success in her international competitions last season. Her 8th place finish at Worlds was the first time she had placed off the podium in six years and the first one in her senior career.

**- - - x - - -**

_(8 May, Before the fifth season on the senior level)_

In between the end of her second year of college and getting used to training with Gai, Tenten joined the cast of the Fire Country leg of the All-Stars on Ice for two months. Since sponsors and endorsements (like _Mizukage_) had been steadily flowing in since her win at the World Championships two years ago, she wasn't too desperate for money. Instead, she joined the tour for the fourth consecutive year because of her fans. She'd opted to stick with her Chopin "Ballade No. 1" exhibition program for the tour, which was the very last program Madam Shijimi ever choreographed for her.

Still, Tenten had to find time to set up her new programs and practice for the pre-Olympic season. She arrived at the Konoha Skating Club early in the morning and faintly heard voices as she walked through the hallways leading to the rink.

"If I cannot do one hundred perfect triple axels by the time our team's youthful lotus comes, I will skate one-thousand laps around the rink!"

"LEE, I am glad the power of YOUTH invigorates you! I will skate with you and do two-thousand!"

"Then I will do three-thousand, Gai-_sensei_!"

The reigning Olympic bronze medalist rolled her eyes as she entered the rink. "Guys, it's _waaay_ too early in the morning for this."

"Tenten! Beautiful flower! We were not expecting you to come this early!"

The young woman shook her head. "Lee, can you stop yelling so loud? It's seven o' clock in the morning," she sighed. "And stop calling me that!"

"Gai-_sensei_! I failed to complete the task before our youthful flower came! Let us go skate laps around the rink together!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-_sensei_!"

"Lee!"

"_And_ here we go _again_," Tenten sighed, warming-up.

As usual, Lee had already arrived before her. He and the coach were already training one of Gai-_sensei_'s self-invented crazy workout plans called the "Eight Gates". They really were two of a kind, Tenten thought as she (or rather, the entire rink) heard them continue chanting each other's names.

Despite their embarrassing moments, it was truly admirable how hard-working they both were. Gai-_sensei_ was a dedicated coach, and was more of an active person judging by how he willingly trained alongside his pupils even though he had not been competitive for a long time.

Lee, on the other hand, had endured many criticisms about his skating. People had said he lacked a sense of musicality for figure skating, but what he lacked he made up for double in hard work and discipline.

Not to mention, it was immensely admirable how he overcame a childhood disability to get to where he was today.

Tenten had been skating around the rink for an hour and a half; Gai was supervising her and Lee's skating. She liked being back, training at the Konoha Skating Club again. There were no board surrounding the rink—giving the place more of a feeling of freedom. She didn't feel as caged in as she had at her previous rink.

Sighing, she picked up a good amount of speed, faster than she could have gotten before training with the Dynamic Duo. The other skaters on the ice around her passed by in a giant blur as she skated backwards past them. With loose fringes of her hair fluttering wildly around her face, she did a three-turn, bent her right knee, and vaulted herself into the air with her left toe-pick. Tenten's mind was blank as she rapidly completed four revolutions in the air, her body feeling a little too tight. Her right foot touched down onto the ice, her left leg skimmed the ice as it barely managed to swing around her right leg.

The quadruple toe-loop had been the edge she had over the other competitors fighting for the Olympic bronze, the skill that ensured her that last spot on the podium a few years back. After that, she seldom attempted it in competition, and many speculated that Tenten lost her ability to perform a clean quad – and she had – until now.

Well, kind of. It was a work-in-progress. Though, the "Konoha Whirlwind," another one of Gai's workouts, seemed to be speeding up the process.

Faintly, she heard Gai clapping. "That was good, little lotus!" he exclaimed with a mega-watt smile. "But next time, you must have _confidence_ through it! You must exhibit your YOUTH_ful_ _passion_ to its fullest even if you feel terrible in the air!" Tenten opened her mouth to retort, but Gai stopped her, "Tenten, come here, I must inform you of a situation."

"As you know, I received many an email from your fans about your skating, and many of are of well-wishers and proclamations of YOUTH and love."

"I do," Tenten nodded, who would've thought this was completely normal if Gai wasn't using such a calm voice. It was beginning to frighten her.

"Now, I've been receiving emails from someone who had been confessing his love for you and requested for me to set up a meeting between the two of you. Naturally, I declined."

"But lately, I've noticed that this person has been sending more emails with the same content using different emails and different names each time. Now, I only know that this is the same person because he attaches a picture of himself each time."

"Oh," Tenten said, a bit alarmed. "What—"

"I've already alerted the rink's security team as well as the receptionist to be on the lookout for him if he ever decides to show up. His picture has been posted up the entrance as well as in here," he said, pointing to a section of the windows. "Now, I did not mean to alarm you. I am sure this teenager is harmless and his youth has gotten the best of him, but I remember what fans were like when I was competing; we didn't want to take an unwise chance with your safety."

"Oh, wow," Tenten said, brushing her bangs upwards. "Thinks, Gai-_sensei."_

"It is my duty to mentor you and Lee and to protect you from harm," he said with a large grin. "Anyway, our beautiful rose, Kurenai, is here to see you."

"Tenten!" She turned around at the sound of her name and found a beautiful woman dressed in a long beige coat with a warm red scarf around her neck entering the rink. She was faced with Yuuhi Kurenai, the former ice-dancing diva with a goddess-like physique and a killer smile.

It was almost unfair how someone could be so attractive, really. Kurenai had these unusual red-amber eyes that seemed to _look directly into one's soul_. At 5' 6", she was two inches taller than Tenten with legs that seemed like they went on _forever_. Her only flaw was that her hair was mess, but it was like it was an attractive kind of unruly. And it could be excused by the fact that Kurenai had recently become a mother.

"Kurenai-_sensei_!" she exclaimed, skating to into the other woman's embrace. "It's always lovely to see you!"

"Look at you!" Kurenai exclaimed excitedly, gently holding onto both sides of Tenten's face. "You know, I could hardly believe it when my father-in-law told me you were coming back here to train," Kurenai said. "But I'm so happy you're back and that you've chosen me to help you with your programs!"

"Kurenai-_sensei_, you've been my main choreographer for four years and created so many awesome programs for me. How could I not?"

The two exchanged more pleasantries, mainly about the older woman's recently expanded family and how Tenten had been doing in the four years the pair had seldom seen each other. Kurenai had been Tenten's choreographer during her two years on the junior level and even before that, creating magical programs for the young skater before she switched coaches. Madam Shijimi had taken over that role as well as coaching her, but now that Tenten was free to choose, she had expressed a desire to work with Kurenai again. Kurenai, of course, approved, and it wasn't before long that the two got down to business.

"So, did you have anything in mind for any of your programs?" Kurenai asked.

"I haven't thought of anything to the free skate, but there is _one_ song I had in mind for the short program," the younger skater answered. "I have wanted to skate to it for a really long time, actually."

She had chosen "(Longing for the) Spring Breeze," a famous folk song from Tea Country. As she played the song for Kurenai, Tenten explained that the song told the story of a "shy, young girl who thinks of romance and wants to marry a young man. She opens her door thinking that the young man has come," she said, "only to find that she has been tricked by the wind and the Moon is now laughing at her foolishness."

Tenten could only imagine the wonders Kurenai could do with the music. Her program would exude a sort of whimsical and magical, yet longing feel. To Tenten, it would be perfect … if they could shorten the song it to two minutes and fifty seconds and get it to sound just right. Kurenai had been visibly impressed by the song, and agreed that it would be a good choice for the short program.

"Ooh! I like it! It really, really like it! It's definitely do-able and I don't think any other top-level skater has skated to it before. So, I think this could be a signature piece for you. We're probably going to have to get it edited a bunch of times to get it right, but it's all in the process of creating a good program, right?" Kurenai said with a smile. "Now, for your free skate, I was thinking _Tosca_ or _Scheherazade_. Yes, I know, a lot of skaters have chosen either one of those in the past, but I think you can bring something fresh to the table."

"Okay," Tenten shrugged. "I like the songs of both. Exhibition-wise, I think I have something in mind as well…"

"Well alright then! Honestly, I think the most important part is that we're going to have to make sure you're not going to moon the judges in any part of your program."

Tenten laughed. She had _definitely_ missed her old rink.

**- - - x - - -**

_(25 June, Before of fifth season on the senior level)_

With the music cuts for both programs done and the choreography complete, Tenten sent the edited music to her costume designer to see if he could produce some sketches that would fit the programs. It had been a process of back-and-forth communication between her, her team, and the designer before Tenten finally physically went to him for the final stages.

"You want me to put on a _what_?"

"A wedding dress, honey."

"Isn't it bad luck to try one on if you're not getting married?" she asked wearily.

"That's just an old wives' tale," he said dismissively. "Hold on, let me go and get one!"

Tenten sighed and shook her head. She would never win against Deidara. Beside her, both Kurenai-_sensei_ and her mother were bewildered and amused, respectively. There was no chance in hell that she'd bring Gai-_sensei_ with her to any kind of costume fittings. Tenten made sure he only gave the minimal amount of input to anything regarding her style.

Looking around, she took in the sight of Deidara's newly-remodeled flagship boutique. In the midst of all of the changes, Tenten still spotted some old trinkets, like paintings and sculptures that Deidara had pain-stakingly created himself and his motto, "Art is an Explosion!", plastered under his DEIDARA logo. Numerous sketches of her potential outfits lined a large billboard that was propped on the wall, with three standing out above the rest.

The quirky designer was actually a relative of one of Tenten's best friends, Yamanaka Ino. As soon as Tenten had reached the senior level four years ago, Ino had contacted Deidara and arranged a meeting between the two.

The rest was history.

Image was pretty much everything in such a "glamorous" sport like skating was.

And Deidara knew how to produce an impressionable image.

Initially reluctant to encroach upon the world of figure skating, Deidara had dismissed the idea. But Ino had eventually persuaded her cousin that he could do something that no other high-end fashion designers in Fire Country had ever done (surprisingly enough).

Though, it might've had something to do with "Master Sasori," the Wind Country fashion designer (and Deidara's ex-boyfriend) designing for Tenten's rival Sabaku Temari.

So for the past four years, the eccentric designer (with a strange fascination with explosives) had created critically-acclaimed beautiful and functional outfits for the Konoha skater, for both on- and off- the ice.

"Here they are!"

But he had never made her try on wedding dresses before. Red-carpet dresses, sure, but never wedding dresses.

"Oh my," Kurenai said, marveling at the dresses in his hand. "They're quite nice, but are you sure—"

"It's all part of the process," Tenten's mother waved dismissively. She was much more used to Deidara's antics, having gotten over his eccentricities a long time ago.

Tenten and her mother understood how Deidara worked. Using his own creations intended for fashion shows and the like as templates, he wanted to see what different types of dresses might look like on Tenten before he created them and made them definite. The outfits he created for her were always tasteful and elegant, always matching Tenten's own style as well as the music.

"Here, this one first!" Deidara said excitedly as he pushed a dress into Tenten's hands, momentarily exposing his tattooed palms to her. Those drawn-on mouths had always scared her. They looked too real.

Indulging him, Tenten stepped into a spacious dressing room, complete with angled mirrors and a small black circular platform in the center. An assistant had helped her put on the dress, which was, quite remarkably, her size.

It looked like something out of a prominent wedding magazine. The dress had a wide, but not deep V-neckline and clung lightly to Tenten's body before it flared out at her waist. The A-line dress had a really light quality to it, perfect for a spring or beach wedding.

"You look very pretty," the attendant smiled and said sincerely. "Ready to get this show on the road?"

Tenten nodded and walked out of the room.

"Yes, yes!" Deidara clapped his hands happily as Tenten emerged. "Yes, I knew this would fit quite perfectly on you!"

Tenten twirled around slowly as Deidara instructed her to. There were positive remarks abound in the room. She heard the sound of camera shutters going off from someone's phone; when the young skater turned back around, she saw that her mother had unshed tears in her eyes.

"Mom," Tenten said slowly, throwing her mother a strange look. She was seriously starting to get freaked out. "Why—no, _Mom_! You are _not_ allowed to cry; I'm _not even close_ to getting married!"

"I know, I know," her mother sniffed. Kurenai sympathetically patted Tenten's mother on the back. "I would probably kill you if you got married at 19. It would only mean that someone had gotten you pregnant."

"_MOM_!" Tenten shouted in horror. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"Now for this one," Deidara cut in, oblivious to anything that wasn't the dress on Tenten's body, "I thought it would be a perfect template for your short program." He walked up to the first of the three more prominent drawings and pointed to it.

"I would have to agree, Deidara," Kurenai agreed. "The the light and flowing quality of the dress seems to fit the theme of spring very well."

"It might be a like grayish blue color, like a stream of water or the fog rolling away to make room for the sun; or it will be a pale green, like the Earth."

"Gai would be so happy to hear that the dress might be green," Kurenai muttered.

"Yes, yes. I was also thinking that there should be straps that cross diagonally from one end to another," he said, making invisible patterns along Tenten's half-bare back. "Perhaps some rhinestones on those straps and everywhere else as well. We'll see. But yes, this is definitely a contender."

"_Oh, Deidara! It's gorgeous!"_

Tenten turned around at the sound of that voice. It didn't seem like it had come from anyone in the room, but it had to come from somewhere. Otherwise, it'd be strange because she didn't see any additional people.

"Kanako! How good it is to see you!" Deidara cried.

"_Tenten! Tenten! Down here, darling!"_

"Auntie Kanako," Tenten said weakly to the well-dressed woman on the screen. "How are you?"

_Why did I teach Mom how to video-call again?_

Yamanaka Deidara, even if he was a relative of a close friend, had a hefty price tag associated with his name. Each of his costumes cost upwards to a cheap new car. When Tenten had first started competing on the senior level, she could barely afford a dress from such an extravagant designer, even with her parents' comfortable salaries. That money went into the house, the bills, and the rest of Tenten's skating expenses. Auntie Kanako and her husband had kindly stepped in and funded all of her skating expenses(upgrades on everything) until the young skater had amassed enough endorsements and sponsors to pay for them herself.

"_Fine, fine. But look at you! Oh, all grown up, in that wedding dress! Is this the template for one of the new dresses? Oh, I can see teenage boys all over the world just falling over at the sight of you!_"

"Not with this dress, ma'am. Wait until you see the concept of the free skate dress. Though, they might pass out anyway because it's Tenten."

"I've already got one overzealous fan who keeps emailing Gai about wanting to meet me," Tenten muttered. "I really don't need more."

"_Neji, Neji! Can you see Tenten? Isn't she lovely in this dress? What do you think?"_

"_Aunt Kanako, I am in the middle of driving right now—"_

"_But Neji, your best friend looks stunning!"_

From the looks of it, Tenten could see that Neji had been roped into driving Auntie Kanako to wherever she wanted to go again. He'd be busy for the rest of the day, that much she was sure of.

"_I do not doubt that, but we are in the middle of a busy intersection. Just hold on for just a minute—Asshole, learn how to drive!"_

"_Neji! Language!"_

"_Apologies."_

"_Anyway," _Kanako directed the phone's camera back to herself_, "you look very beautiful in that, Tenten."_

"_Alright, we're out,"_ Neji interrupted. _"Hey, Ten— Oh."_

"What?" Tenten asked at his bewildered expression.

"_Nothing, nothing. Just wondering who would ever want to marry _you,_" Neji cleared his throat, recovering and his attention turned back to the road, "and why I wasn't invited."_

"_Neji!"_

"_You clean up well, Ryū,"_ Neji amended.

"Wish I could say the same for you, Hyuuga!" Tenten said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

"_Hinata did tell me that Tenten and Deidara had some fabulous concepts in mind_," Kanako cut in again.

"Your daughter always flatters me so," Deidara said. "The next time there is some sort of Hyuuga event, do tell her that I have the perfect dress in mind … she's not still dating that Uchiha brat, is she?"

"No, Deidara," Tenten cut in, rolling her eyes at the ground so that Deidara would not see. They'd already gone over this many, many times. "They _never dated in the first place."_

"Well, it's not like anyone could tell. I mean, their dynamic sometimes ... such a cheeky little—" Deidara muttered. "Well, he's not as bad as Ino's current boyfriend, whatever his name is. I can't be bothered to remember it."

"I agree," Tenten said whole-heartedly.

"I've only met him once—on her birthday, in fact—and the little smug bastard walks around like he owns the damn world—"

"_Tenten! Turn around and let me take a screen-shot! Hanabi especially likes seeing you play dress-up. Smile, darling!"_

Tenten gave her a rather embarrassed smile before she turned to Deidara. "I like the idea of a fading color scheme. You know, like maybe a darker gray or darker green at the bottom of the skirt, and then fading off to a lighter shade of either of those colors."

"Hm, that's do-able. Yes, I can see it now. Maybe we'll do a short segment of fade-out— not on the whole dress— starting with the hem …"

"_Auntie, we have arrived."_

"_Well, I have to go. Things to do, people to see," _Kanako cut in regrettably_. "Huilan! You and your family must come over for dinner again. I know my youngest daughter misses your company, Tenten. Hanabi is always asking Neji when you're going to come by again. You're always so busy!"_

"I'll make it a point to, auntie!" Tenten promised. "Do tell Hiashi-_sama_ that I said hello."

"_Will do, dear. Hiashi and I—well, all of us really; will all be looking forward to seeing you soon! Goodbye!_" With that, Kanako disconnected the call on her end.

"So," Deidara clapped his hands together. "Shall we continue?"

* * *

**Edited:** 05 July 2013

(_Lots of introductions in this chapter. Apologies for that._) – Also, Neji will make an "official" appearance next chapter, I promise!

**Note #1:** I have received several reviews and messages in the past from that have basically complained and/or demanded that I update sooner. I think I made it pretty clear in a past chapter that I do have a life outside of . Contrary to fictional television belief, being successful in school takes lots of studying and dedication as well. And I think it is _immensely selfish_ for people I don't know to ask for much more than I am capable of giving _especially_ since I don't do this for money. I thought the research and time I put into this story would be enough, but apparently not.

_But to those who have remained positive and supportive throughout, I sincerely thank you._

**Note #2:** A lot of people don't seem to realize that the swimmer from last chapter, Ao, is an actual character from the manga. (He's the guy who follows the Mizukage and had a Hyuuga eye implanted.) In fact, most characters used in this story will have been part of the _Naruto_ universe somehow.

**Note #3:** The fan-email experience is based on one told by Brian Orser about his former student Yuna Kim as in the _New York Times_ article "Web Is Bringing Skaters' Lives Uneasily Close to Fans' Obsessions" by Juliet Macur, published on January 23, 2010.

****Fun Fact: **The wedding dress scene is inspired by _Vera Wang_'s designing partnerships with Michelle Kwan, Nancy Kerrigan, and Evan Lysacek (among others).

In her engagement announcement in _People_ Magazine, Michelle Kwan mentioned that Vera Wang used to put her in wedding dresses when the designer was in the process of making competition outfits for her. There is also a Youtube video that was a 1994 Olympics news clip highlighting Nancy Kerrigan's partnership with Wang ("Vera Wang on Nancy Kerrigan's Skating Costumes" if you would like to look it up on YouTube).

**Song/Theme:** "Longing for the Spring Breeze" is an old Taiwanese folk song composed by Teng Yu-hsien and written by Lee Lin-chiu.


	6. Everybody Knows (Douchebag)

(Posted: 02/12/2013.)

For those who celebrate Lunar New Year, hope you all had a good one. May you all be blessed with prosperity and good health in this new year!

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**06. EVERYBODY KNOWS (YOUR BOYFRIEND IS A DOUCHEBAG)**

.

_"Your boyfriend is a douchebag_

_And everybody knows_

_Your boyfriend is a douchebag_

_Your momma told you so_."

* * *

No quote for this chapter. If I could post a picture, it would be of American swimmer Nathan Adrian 'cause he's hot.

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, early August)**

_(1 August, Before the fifth season on the senior level)_

Tenten unlocked her phone screen and saw a text message alert from Sakura. "_EMERGENCY MEETING AT INO'S PLACE! COME ASAP! WILL TELL YOU WHEN YOU GET HERE!"_ she read under her breath.

Hinata opened her mouth first. "Did you—"

"Yeah," Tenten replied. "I wonder what it's about."

"You don't think it's something serious, do you?"

"Maybe Ino's being melodramatic about something," Tenten shrugged. "She _did_ break up with Nadare ... again."

"Do you think we should go?"

Tenten glanced at her television screen. Swimming teams from a number of countries appeared from the Olympic locker room, ready to challenge for the title. "We'll go after this match," Tenten decided.

"Go where?"

"To Ino's," Tenten answered. "You don't mind driving us there, do you?"

Neji shrugged. "Sure."

The skater's attentions were back on the screen after that. All the swimmers that had emerged were now at their stations for a last-minute warm-up. The leading swimmers already had their jackets off, exposing the hard planes of their sinuous bodies-well-earned results of time put into the gym and in the pool. The 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay would be the first final round of mens' swimming at the current Summer Olympics.

Tenten was already decked out in her "patriotic" gear-she was wearing one of many Team Fire Country jackets she'd accumulated throughout the years and even had a Fire Country party hat on. "Daddy! Swimming's on! Come watch!" Tenten called out. There was a muffed answer in response.

"_Realistically, what chance do the swimmers from Fire Country have against those of Water Country? I mean, they haven't won the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay at the Olympics in twenty years. They've consistently gotten silver this whole time."_

"_You know, I've been running the numbers—the lap times—in my head over and over again, and man, it comes out Water Country every time. These guys are just really strong and fast swimmers. Don't get me wrong, the Fire Country swimmers are capable of winning, but all of them just give it their all and go as fast as they can if they want to beat Water Country."_

"You do have to love how pessimistic these commentators are being," Tenten remarked with exasperation.

"Perhaps they are just being realistic," Neji replied. "Twenty years is long legacy of silver in this event."

"_Suzuki Chiriku leading off for Fire Country; Suzuki Ranmaru of Water in the lane next to him … the reason Water Country is so good is that they keep producing really good sprinters, Ranmaru included."_

"Oh, stop being just a ball of negativity. This is the Olympics; you're supposed to cheer for your team!" Tenten exclaimed, pointing at her jacket. "See! This says "FIRE COUNTRY" on it! I am doing my duty as a Fire country citizen."

"Tenten, you have a closet full of those for every year you've gone out to compete. The only reason you like wearing those is because you get them for free and because you would be questioned if you didn't wear them at competitions."

"_Oh! Look at Wave Country though. Oh gracious! Twenty-four seconds. Wow! Don't know if they can retain that lead though."_

"That's not true!" Tenten retorted. "They're actually very comfortable, thank you very much. And I bet you don't have a single patriotic bone in your body."

"As a member of the Hyuuga family, I have an obligation to be patriotic," Neji stated, crossing his arms. Hinata nodded beside him.

"_And now into the pool for Fire Country is Namiashi Raido, his first swim of these Olympics. Just look at that world record line; all these teams are ahead of it! I think that's what it'll take to win here—setting a new world record time."_

"_And Namiashi reaches the 50-meter mark first. Will he be able to retain the lead? And what do you think, in the final stretch, it'll take for Fire Country to win?"_

"What have I missed?" Tenten's father suddenly appeared in the hallway linking the living room to the bedrooms. Anything remotely interesting happen yet?"

"Not really," Hinata replied softly.

"Fire Country's in the lead though," Tenten said as her father took a seat beside her. The group of four sat on the couches in front of the large-screen television, all intent on keep their focus on the competition in front of them. The second swimmers of the four-man relay teams were thundering down the stretch, hoping to gain enough distance so that it would help lessen their team members' burdens.

"_You know, the problem is that Water Country's anchor is Hoshigaki Kisame and that man is a shark. In all seriousness, he is a strong, strong swimmer. He is absolutely determined and I mean, what can I say? The man swims like a damn shark."_

"_Shiranui Genma into the pool now. This is his first Olympics and I have to say, he's probably the slowest swimmer out of the four Fire Country men here."_

"No! Noooo! Dammit, Genma! Raido had the lead and you _lost it!"_ Tenten yelled at the TV screen.

"_And there it is, Shō Ao has taken over the lead for Water Country and he's swimming away with it. There is no way Shiranui can overtake him. Fastest relay swim in the preliminary round for Shō, good effort on Shiranui's end, but Water Country has indubitably taken over the lead right now over in lane 4. You can definitely see the difference. Sky Country is in third position now."_

"Ao, dearie. I like you, but I really hate you right now," Tenten muttered under her breath.

Neji didn't know whether to smirk or raise an eyebrow at her statements.

_Hoshigaki Kisame waiting at the edge for Shō to come back. Tenzō Yamato is the anchor for Fire Country. The top three are still faster than the previous world record time so far. Tenzō is going to have to make up for a considerable amount of distance there for Fire Country to get gold—I just don't see it happening."_

"_And there they go! Hoshigaki, Tenzō are in the pool—and let me tell you something, Hoshigaki can fly."_

"_All the anchor swimmers are now in the pool … Tenzō Yamato has done this before. Twice in this event, the 4 x 100 freestyle, and twice he's gotten silver. He's been there before and I think this is just going to be his third silver, but he'll definitely fight to the very end."_

"They're very pessimistic," Tenten's father remarked. "Is it really necessary to make it sound like he's going to his death?"

"That's what I said!" Tenten exclaimed. "C'mon, _c'mon_ … Go, Yamato! Go!"

"_Well, the world record is going to be shattered by Hoshigaki, no doubt. The top three are still ahead of the world record time and we'll see what it's going to be."_

_Fire Country trying to hang on to the silver medal. They should get it if they aren't overtaken by Wave Country. Let's just see—wait. Hold on a second—"_

Everyone in the living room found themselves leaning at the edge of their seats.

"_Yamato is starting to close in! I can't—can this veteran chase the Shark down?!"_

"Go! GO! You can do it, Yamato! Let's go!"

"_He's closing in! He's closing in! C'mon! C'mon!"_

"_The Shark is losing some distance!"_

"YOU'RE GAINING ON HIM. C'MON, YAMATO! YOU CAN DO IT!" Tenten exclaimed, gripping her father's shoulder as she slowly and unconsciously started getting up from her spot on the sofa.

"_HERE THEY GO, THUNDERING DOWN THE HOME STRETCH— OH GREAT _KAMI-SAMA_! UNBELIEVEABLE! YAMATO TOUCHES IT FIRST! FIRE COUNTRY WINS!"_

"HE DID IT! HE DID IT! HE DID IT! HE BROKE THE WORLD RECORD!"

"_Wooooooo! After a twenty-year chase, gold at last for Fire Country in the 4x100 freestyle! "_

"_And Water Country … man, just look at them. Stunned. Absolutely stunned!"_

Ao and two other members of his team stood in front of the platform, silent with shock. In the pool, Kisame leaned against the wall, his head buried in his arms. This was quite a contrast to the Fire Country team who was yelling with delight at their historic win.

"_Fire Country first, followed by Water and Sky Country!"_

"_Forget about that! Where's the playback?! Let me see it again—c'mon, where …"_

"Gracious, that was epic!" Tenten laughed. "Did you see that? Last minute burst of speed! Man, what a guy, that Yamato."

"Indeed," Neji nodded. "Shall we go?"

"Wha—Oh, yeah. Hinata, you ready to go?"

Hinata nodded and the three stood up and waved goodbye to Tenten's father. Tenten got a few knickknacks from her room before they departed for Ino's house in Neji's car.

The thirty-or-so minute ride was filled with the latest gossip from the skating world (courtesy of Tenten), surprised side comments (Hinata), and utter silence (Neji). The latest news not disclosed to the public (skating gossip never usually was, officially anyway) was of a Fire Country female pairs' skater who was dating her foreign coach. Coach-skater relationships occurred more than the average person realized—not to say that they were common, but they existed.

No, the _actual_ salacious bit of the piece of gossip was that the girl was barely out of her teens (just turned eighteen) and the coach was almost thirty years her senior. This didn't come much to a surprise on the coach's part to Tenten—he was reputed to have dated quite a few of his more—receptive—female students in the past, but it was rumored that they'd apparently been able to keep it under wraps for a year and a half; around the time he became her coach. That meant she had been sixteen-going-on-seventeen when they'd started! Oh dear.

Tenten had even visibly shuddered when she relayed the story to Neji and Hinata. _Poor girl._

"Was she dating her partner before the whole affair began?" Hinata asked curiously.

"I don't think so," Tenten replied, shaking her head. "I think she might have been dating a junior-level men's competitor back then though. But still, isn't it creepy?"

"More than just a little. You said he started dating her after he divorced his wife?"

"Yep. Funny thing; his ex-wife was also a former student of his. Though, that relationship was considerably less creepy since she's in her early thirties now, but yeah they were married for a little more than a year. I think I competed against her once before she retired a few years back. She's from Water Country, I think."

"I would hate to break up such scintillating conversation, but we're here," Neji interrupted.

Ino lived in a nice two-story house, complete with two garages two really nice yards—her family owned three rather popular flower shops in Konoha, after all. As Neji pulled up to her driveway, Tenten could see that the house was dark—save for a light in her bedroom window. Strange, was no one home but Ino?

"Call me if you need me to pick you up, okay?" Neji addressed both women.

Tenten and Hinata nodded before saying their farewells and exiting the car. The walk the door was short, but the wait after they had rung the doorbell had seemed unbearably long. Their only consolation was that Neji was still in the driveway—making sure they made it past the door before leaving.

"What do you think Sakura told us to come over for?" Tenten asked quietly.

"I don't know, but whatever it is … it must be serious," Hinata replied. "Neither Sakura nor Ino ever texts us something like that unless it's nothing to joke about."

"That's true," Tenten said, biting her lip. "Remember when—"

The door opened. "You're here!" Sakura said in relief. "Come in!"

Hinata and Tenten looked at each other and waved to Neji before going in. _Where was Ino?_ Once inside, Tenten was about to open her mouth to ask when she got a look at Sakura. The pink-haired woman looked stressed and bothered—a little crease marred the space in between the woman's eyes.

"Ino's upstairs. C'mon."

Wordlessly, the two women followed Sakura up the stairs and into Ino's room, the house was completely dark save for a few nightlights each room they passed and the hallway. They found Ino laying diagonally on her bed with a large comforter wrapped around her body. From what Tenten could see, the other woman looked disheveled—_much_ more than Sakura did. The hair that she was so protective of was in disarray and Ino looked like she hadn't seen daylight in days.

Tenten was immediately concerned. "Ino? What is it? What's the matter?"

When Ino answered with a sob, Hinata and Tenten immediately made their way to the edge of the bed.

"Ino?" Hinata asked urgently. "What's wrong?"

Quietly, Ino leaned over her bed and opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand, pulled out a pink-colored box, and handed it to Hinata. Curiously, Tenten peered over her shoulder.

_Early-Result Pregnancy Test._

Oh.

_Oh._

"Will you two _say something_?" Ino asked; her voice cracking and the fear in her eyes apparent.

"Do you—have you taken the test yet?" Tenten asked, her heart hammering in her chest.

"No," Ino whispered. "I haven't."

"I thought you were on the pill."

"The pill isn't one-hundred percent effective," Ino replied weakly. "And neither is the condom. No matter how you spin it, even with the two combined, they're not infallible."

"H-have you any symptoms at all?" Sakura asked. "Are you—"

"I haven't had my period for over a month now—since I broke up with that asshole," she interrupted. "I've been feeling queasy and nauseated all week and I can't stomach anything. And _Kami_ I've been so stressed with school and finals and _now this!"_

"But you don't know this for sure," Hinata said gently. "Just take the test. Take the test and we can help you figure things out from here.

"Okay," Ino said quietly. "Okay."

Tenten watched helplessly as Ino got up from under her covers—the poor woman looked like she hadn't eaten very well as of late—and grabbed two boxes from the drawer in addition to the one in Hinata's hands. She walked her adjoining bathroom like a walking dead man; the ominous feeling was felt throughout the room.

"Ino," Tenten called out. Ino stopped in her tracks and turned around. The other girl had tears in her already red-rimmed eyes. Whatever Tenten had been about to say died in her throat. Instead, Tneten walked over to her and enveloped her with her arms, hoping that she could pass on whatever strength and courage she could over to Ino. Hinata and Sakura hugged her as well, and it was all that they could do to keep her from crying.

The bedroom was entirely silent after Ino retreated to the bathroom and closed the door. Each of the girls was contemplating the same thing in different ways. Tenten watched as Sakura closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip before burying her face in her hands_._ Sakura was arguably Ino's closest friend—there was no doubt she would be the first offer Ino her support if it came down to it.

Even with the tense atmosphere, Hinata looked very composed—her figure looked a bit daunting, regal even, with her frighteningly good posture. There was no arch in her back or shoulders—her back was ramrod-straight—one would have mistaken her to be relaxed, but it was her clenched fists gave her away.

—

When at last the door to the bathroom opened, the girls turned to look at Ino, who shrugged and said, "It's done. Now I just have to wait."

Silently, Sakura set her phone's timer to ten minutes. Ino once again took her place on the bed and curled herself into a little ball, wrapping a blanket tightly around herself.

"What am I going to do if they come out positive?"

"What if it doesn't?" Sakura challenged. "A number of factors can affect whether or not your period is late."

"Sakura, I can't ignore the possibility that the tests might come out positive," Ino said tiredly. "I can't pretend that there's no other outcome besides negative. What am I going to do? I'm not even out of college yet, I don't have a job; how am I supposed to know how to take care of something like a baby? My parents are going to kill me. What am I going to do?"

"It'll be okay. You'll see," Hinata reassured quietly.

"But what if it isn't?" Ino sobbed. "What if I'm—pregnant? I haven't even turned nineteen yet! Let's face it, in an ideal world, Nadare would totally understand. But this _isn't_ an ideal world, and realistically, he'd freak out. And parents … gracious! My parents will be _so _disappointed!"

"If it comes to that—and that's a _big_ IF—then you can be sure as hell that we'll be there for you," Tenten said fiercely. "We won't abandon you."

"We'll figure it out together," Hinata reaffirmed.

As Ino sobbed, she allowed the girls to wrap their arms around her, all wishing that they could lend her their strength. Tenten could only hope and send a prayer to whatever _Kami-sama_ was listening that the test would come out as negative.

Ino cleared her throat. "So do you know your GP assignments yet?"

Tenten was really taken aback but the sudden change in topics. "Uh, yeah. They gave me one in Fire Country and one in Lightning Country," she answered.

"I'll try to make it to the one in Fire Country," Ino said, wiping her tears. "It's been two years since I've been to one of your competitions besides Nationals."

"You don't have to," Tenten shrugged. "It's on the other side of the country. Besides, you've already bought your tickets to the World Championships—"

"We'll see," Ino replied. "You better make a damn good World Championships to watch."

"Yeah, none of that bullshit you pulled six months ago in Marsh Country," Sakura agreed. "We want to see you kick some ass!"

"In pretty dresses," Hinata added sweetly.

"Okay, okay!" Tenten forced herself to let out a laugh. How had this turned into a berating-Tenten-fest? Though, it was much better than the dreadful aura that had permeated the air moments ago.

The ominous sound of Sakura's phone timer sounded off into the air.

"Time to face the music," Ino sighed, sluggishly getting up and walking to the bathroom; the mood from the last two minutes had been completely snuffed out. Tenten gave her shoulder a little squeeze as a sign of support before Ino and Sakura walked to the bathroom together, with Sakura leaning against the doorway.

Silence.

Then came the wailing.

Tenten and Hinata didn't even have to share a look before they bolted to the bathroom. Ino was leaning against the bathtub and the wall, clutching one of the tests in her hand and Sakura hugged her shoulders.

"What? What is it?" Tenten asked frantically.

Ino practically shoved the test in her face.

Two blue lines.

Ino was pregnant.

"Oh, _Kami. _Ino, I'm _so _sorry," Tenten breathed, crouching down to take the other girl into her arms.

"_What am I going to do?_" Ino cried. "_What am I going to do? This is too soon, I can't—I can't—what am I going to tell my parents? What am I going to tell Nadare?"_

"I'm so sorry," Sakura said helplessly. "Whatever you do, know we're going to help you through it."

Tenten could feel the tears coming to her eyes. Ino was much too young for this—she was only eighteen, still in her teens! What _would_ she do?

"Guys, wait," Hinata spoke up. "Ino, did you check these other tests?"

"What difference does it make?" Ino yelled. "I'm—it wouldn't change a thing!"

"Ino," Hinata said softly. "These two tests say you're not pregnant."

"W-what?" A shocked Ino momentarily stopped her crying. "That can't—impossible …"

"Come look," Hinata motioned over to her and pointed to the tests without touching them. "One pink line on this one, which means it's a negative; and the digital one indicates that it's negative too."

Upon looking at the two other tests, Ino's legs gave out. Tenten and Sakura quickly pulled her to her feet before she hit the ground. "But … how can that be? This one says I'm pregnant. I don't understand …"

"It might be a false positive," Tenten suggested. "I remember reading somewhere that these tests weren't 100% accurate. It's a good thing you got three then."

Ino leaned against the two girls in confusion. "So, I'm not pregnant?"

"Most likely not," Hinata answered. "But you should set up an appointment with your gynecologist to confirm."

"But why … my period is late and I've been feeling nauseated lately … I can't hold any food in my stomach."

"Weren't you re-taking a class, Ino? You were _really_ worried that you were going to fail that one class again and you'd have to file appeals to both retake the class and stay with your major if you had failed it again?"

"Well, yes," Ino said curiously. "What—what's going on? What do you mean?"

"Between school and breaking up with Nadare, You've been really stressed lately. Stress can throw your body in for a loop, which means that your period was most likely affected by the amount of hours that you put into studying and spending time worrying about your classes—and I'm sure you were even more so when you were scared you were pregnant," Tenten said gently. "I see other skaters not be able to eat before a competition all the time. They look all pale and worried before they finally throw up in a garbage can before their names are called. That much pressure and anxiety can wreak havoc on someone's body."

"Makes sense," Hinata said softly. "The mind controls the body, after all."

"So, I'm really not pregnant?"

"Most likely not," Tenten affirmed. "You've just been stressed out."

"You really should make an appointment with your doctor though," Sakura added, "just to make sure."

"Oh, thank _Kami-sama_!" she said in relief.

"Well, in any case, you might want to throw the tests out of the house before your parents come back."

"I think … I need to ... just lie down for a minute," Ino said breathlessly. "My legs feel like they're about to give out …"

"I'll go get you some water," Tenten volunteered with a smile.

* * *

**Edited: **05 July 2013. (I deleted the whole Hinata connection to what Ino was experiencing; I have no idea how that made it into my previous final edit. If you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, don't worry, it's not important.)

Eh. Not my favorite chapter.

**Note: **I think I'm suffering from Summer Olympics-withdrawal. The beginning of this chapter is based on the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which is the event where Michael Phelps won the first of his eight gold medals there.

**Note #2:** The World Figure Skating Championships is next month! I AM SO EXCITED.

**Song/Theme:** "Everybody Knows (Your Boyfriend is a Douchebag)" by Dustin Tavella


	7. Something (in the way she moves)

(Posted: 03/01/2013.)

This chapter (rather, whole story) was born out of spending too much time on a certain figure skating forum and on YouTube watching performances to try and figure out how to create Tenten's program.

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**07. SOMETHING (IN THE WAY SHE MOVES)**

_"… attracts me like no other lover."_

* * *

_"There's something special that sometimes happens to her. It's almost like the music's channeled through her sometimes and when the music comes on, that's what makes her move. The look on her face, of the music, and the way she does it is just ... it makes you float away with her."_

******—**1988 Olympic Champion and American figure skater, Brian Boitano, on the legendary Michelle Kwan

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, late October)**

**Lightning Cup preview (ladies): Yono and Ryū's season debut, Tsuchi looking for second Grand Prix series gold**

By Tatami Iwashi, _October 26_

The upcoming season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting, particularly because this is the pre-Olympic season. This year's roster of world-class skaters scattered around the Grand Prix series is quite impressive, particularly this week in the Lightning Cup.

Everyone will be looking to World champion Ryū Tenten this upcoming week at the second Grand Prix event of the season. Lightning Cup will be Ryū's first competition since finishing eighth at Worlds in March.

Numerous skaters are already challenging her now-questionable place in the sport, and two of which are certainly capable of taking the event title this week. One challenge for Ryū will come from two-time World medalist and hometown favorite Yono Samui. The other will come from last season's Grand Prix Final champion Tsuchi Kin from Sound Country, who is also going for a back-to-back gold in Lightning Country.

**Suzuki Samui (LC)** – Many skating analysts remarked at how remarkably consistent this hometown favorite was last season due to an injury in her left knee. The two gold medals she won during the Grand Prix series as well as the bronze medal at Worlds last season were a bit of a surprise due to the watered down content of her programs. Now injury-free, it will be interesting to see how she will fare this season.

**Tsuchi Kin (SC)** – After reworking and solidifying her jumps two seasons ago, Tsuchi has proved she is definitely a contender. Watch for increased technical difficulty in both her programs, particularly with a new triple flip-triple toe (which was actually downgraded twice this past week at _Trophée Lune Fleur_). Two relatively clean programs will land her on the podium, and give her a chance to defend her Grand Prix Final title.

**Ryū Tenten** **(FC)** – After a coaching change to Maito Gai, Ryū is eager to prove that she is still in the running after a shocking off-the-podium finish Worlds last season. Plenty of questions have been thrown around and will indubitably be answered this week, and we will see how well she has prepared for this season. Will we see the elusive quad toe? Has the coaching change improved her skating? Do note that the eighth place at Worlds was her lowest in …

_To read the rest of this article, sign up for a paid subscription now __[see more]__ …_

**- - - x - - -**

_(30 October, Beginning of fifth season on the senior level)_

"_Welcome back. You're watching the Ladies' Short Program of the Lightning Cup, the second of five Grand Prix events this season. We are in the Turtle Island Arena just outside of Kumo. Hagane Kotetsu here, and I am once again joined by Kamizuki Izumo and the always-lovely Mitarashi Anko."_

"_You know, as good as Tsuchi Kin has been, I've really got to hand it to Ryū Tenten. This is her first event of the season, but she has been looking great at the practices for the short program."_

"_Ryū Tenten, a former World Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist. I would have to agree with you on that, Anko. She had such a disappointing last season and her dismal showing at Worlds just really capped that. But we all know that when she's _on_, she's in a field all her own."_

"_She completely revamped her skating team this past summer by switching rinks, your old one actually, Anko— in order to train with Maito Gai and Yuuhi Kurenai. What do you think about that?"_

"_It's great, really, it is. We haven't officially seen her programs yet, but even in the practices I can tell that Tenten has found a good place with them."_

"_Yeah," Izumo added, "training with Gai and working again with Kurenai seems to be a really a smart move for Tenten. The choreography for her new programs should be, I think, quite genius. And I think in order to have that, the skaters and their personal teams really have to mesh well together and understand one another to produce such beautiful pieces. I really hope we'll see that tonight."_

Tenten was having a few last-minute words with her coach Maito Gai, who seemed to be talking incessantly as he always did, no doubt offering words of encouragement for Tenten. She took a generous helping of tissues from the proffered tissue box next to Gai and gently wiped her nose and took one last swig of water. Gai was, as usual, wearing his signature loud green jumpsuit as he seemed to be making his closing statements while Tenten was swathed in a grey-green that was easier on the eyes.

She was, to put it simply, _breathtaking_.

"_Please welcome the next competitor, Ryū Tenten!" the official announcer said over the stadium's PA system._

Neji's heart hammered in his chest as he nervously watched Tenten into the center of the rink on-screen, welcomed by rancorous cheers and applause from the massive audience. She smiled widely, causing Neji to wish that it was something that would never leave her face for long.

Tenten's white boots were visibly pristine and bright, even against the sheet of ice she skated on. (She hated over-the-boot tights; said they made her legs look strange and bulky.)

"_The reigning Olympic Bronze medalist and World Champion two years ago; she is currently ranked third in the world," Kotetsu stated. "Viewers at home, debuting her short program, is Ryū Tenten."_

The arena settled down and became quiet; Neji nearly expected to hear a pin drop.

With her luscious brown hair pulled tightly into a bun on the back of her head, she was wearing a dress of mint and dark spring green designed by, as always, the famous Deidara, cousin of Yamanaka Ino. The dress itself was clean-cut and rather simplistic, perfect for the fresh program. The skirt of her dress, though light, was not sheer and served to enhance her elegant movements.

His silver eyes could see the inspiration for that dress; he remembered very clearly the photo that his aunt had teasingly showed him and the rest of the family from Tenten's visit to Deidara. She had been so breathtakingly beautiful, even with that embarrassed smile …

His heart wrenched uncomfortably at the thought of the overzealous fan that had locked his attentions on his best friend. Granted, the young man had never shown up at Tenten's rink, but from the sound of it, he was still sending Gai-_sensei_ emails. Neji feared that the person believed he and Tenten had a special and deep connection; that could spell deep trouble in the future.

Then there was the prodigal swimmer from Water Country. Ao was not a man he trusted to hold the heart of his beloved best friend. Granted, Tenten made it abundantly clear that she had no intention of dating the—land-fish, but that didn't stop the feeling of immense irritation from curling up in his chest. Either way, Shō Ao was not nearly good enough for Tenten, and never would be. And there was just something about him that unnerved Neji.

The camera zoomed into her upper body and the sparse but stylishly placed sequins and Swarovski crystals sparkled vividly under the stadium's bright lights as she skated into her opening pose. Even her earrings— studs made of peridot, diamonds, and pink topaz incased in white gold and shaped into little lotus flowers—served to enhance the ethereal quality of her skating. It was a far cry from a few of her past, more ostentatious costumes, but it suited the gentle program perfectly.

"_She is skating to 'Spring Breeze', a piece from Tea Country where some of her family members are from. It's a very light piece of music, very different than what she's done in the past."_

Those lovely russet brown eyes of hers fluttered open and she smiled demurely, perhaps even longingly as the music came on. Tenten's arms weaved in and out, the glossy jade bracelet on her left arm moving as she did. Ease and gentility was conveyed throughout her entire body and her movements slowed down and speeded up appropriately with the timing of the music.

"_She has a triple lutz-triple loop planned, one of the more difficult combinations done in the ladies' field right now …"_

The light skirt of her dress flew up as she revolved in the air, floating down as the sharp blades of her skates touched down on the ice like a knife through butter. There was little, if any, ricochet of ice as she landed and turned out from her triple toe. It should not have been possible to jump so high and land so lightly, yet Tenten managed it.

"_Ah, not a triple loop at the end of it, but a triple toe—but so well done!"_

"_Did you see the height on that anyway? It was like, "pop!" and then she just flew up! Very nice indeed! When she is on, she is ON."_

Neji firmly believed that her ability to convey such lightness was innate. It was as if she was floating across the rink, carried by a peaceful breeze. It was one thing among many that had not changed since she revamped her skating team.

"_And then into this double axel, the easiest jump in the program …"_

Her dress rippled in the breeze as she glided over the ice. She had such beautiful lines, no doubt inherited from her balletic mother.

A long time ago, back when Tenten had still been taller than him, he had naively proclaimed that figure skating was "just ballet on ice".

(Big mistake.)

Watching her intently, he understood now what he didn't then. Skating added a new dimension in which ballet couldn't achieve. The Ina Bauer, a variation of the fourth position in ballet, had taken on a new dimension – almost magical – when Tenten glided over the ice with speed, her feet on different edges. A slight breeze had taken to caress her body as she skated with precision, adding to the magic. It was a quality that not apparent when she was barefoot and stationary on the floor.

"_Triple flip! Ooh! There might have been a little bit of a two-foot landing; going to have to see the playback to be sure. I think she might've gotten a little nervous, or perhaps even excited …"_

Her lean physique, the result of hours of endurance training and conditioning, was highlighted by the light material of her dress. The skirt of her dress flared out over her hips, fluttering against her long and lithe legs, showcasing her soft curves. Everything about his best friend was elegant and lovely; with an understated sexiness that'd he'd only seen in rare occasions.

She was easily the most beautiful creature he had ever had the honor to behold.

"_And into this combination spin. First, the camel into a sit spin— and then into this upright spin with her free leg in the arabesque attitude derrière position. Beautiful, beautiful positions as always."_

With Kurenai-_sensei_'s instruction and choreography, Tenten moved with freedom and elegance. After working with the former ice dancer for the fifth consecutive year, her artistic ability was much improved from when she was fifteen. Not to mention, her musicality was flourishing.

It was as if her blades caressed the ice at all times, even when she landed. Kurenai-_sensei_ seemed to recognize that very well, and used it to Tenten's advantage rather than forcefully mold her into something she was not. Every move Tenten seemed to be effortless, but Neji knew that each and every one was deliberate. There was absolutely no wasted time, and all were used to garner more points towards her total score.

"_The spiral, an iconic move even today … Look at the extension, the change of edge, the solidity of it, just__—_oh, breathtaking."

Despite this, she translated the feeling of flight possibly better than anyone she competed against.

He could see the vast improvement that the changes in her skating team had brought. Her overall skating technique and speed had gotten better even in her short time with Gai-_sensei_ and her expressions more complimentary than clashing by Kurenai-_sensei's_ instruction. If they kept this up until the Olympics, Neji surmised that there was a large possibility of Tenten being virtually unsurpassable.

"_This step sequence was choreographed very well. You can almost imagine her running through a field of vibrant wildflowers or a peaceful forest."_

The joy and passion she exuded on the ice_—_that couldn't be taught. She genuinely wanted, and _loved_ to be there.

She put a hand over her heart and wistfully spun herself around simultaneously. She really was like a beautiful nymph out of a dream, he observed. The massive audience around her might as well have been irrelevant, watching this forbidden, yet precious moment. She was an ethereal maiden born with the gift of grace and she conveyed that ease and elegance with her intricate movements and love of dance. If the dreamer awoke, she would disappear forever.

"_Into this final combination spin …"_

The audience members were out of their seats and on their feet before the music even ended. Neji's heart soared with pride and admiration as Tenten spun into her ending pose, holding it for full effect. Her smile was even more radiant than it had been in the beginning of the program and her eyes shone with a level of ferocity that came only when she felt she had achieved something great. Her breathing had increased in frequency, an indication of how much effort she'd put into performing at her best.

_If she keeps this up and polishes the program a little, there's no telling how high she'll set the bar for the rest of the ladies. In just a few months, it's obvious as to how much she's improved!"_

Adoring fans threw bouquets of flowers and gifts, which showered the ice around her. She bowed charmingly, once, twice, three times, turning to a different section of the audience every time. She smiled and waved to the crowd again as little girls in matching yellow costumes struggled to pick up the gifts as fast as they could.

"_Despite her disappointing season last year, I definitely still see that competitive fire within her. Do you think this could be her year, Izumo?"_

"_Well, it is very good for her to have a good start to the season. Gai is known for his impeccable technique among other things, and it's quite obvious Tenten has learned a thing or two. I mean, when she's on—the other ladies aren't even close to nipping at her heels."_

"_With the exception of Sabaku Temari, you mean. Do you think it's enough to challenge her? The reigning world champion did well in her event last week."_

"_You know, it's much too early in the season to tell. I mean, there are so many other good skaters as well. But for now, we'll just have to wait and see if Tenten can deliver here tomorrow night and maybe we'll go on from there," he replied._

The commentators rushed into a flurry of observations and remarks about her skating as the slow-motion playback reel flashed on the screen. He paid them no heed, instead, focusing on the slowed-down movements of his best friend. The program was close to perfection, bar a small mistake on the triple flip. The scene dissolved into the current view of her in the Kiss and Cry with Gai-_sensei_. The both of them looked quite satisfied, with Gai looking like he was a child on candy and mentioning something about her _flames of youth_.

It should have been illegal, the way Neji's heart was set on fire when she looked directly into the camera.

_I guess it can't be helped. _

"Short program scores please, for Ryu Tenten … She has earned a total of 65.82 and is currently in second place!"

_I'm in love with her._

* * *

**Edited: **05 July 2013

Ouch. Only one review for last chapter (Thanks, Dreaming101). Has my writing gotten _that_ bad? A few new followers though, so I guess it can't be all _that_ bad.

Spent so much time figuring out how to describe everything in this chapter. I know it was short compared to the other chapters, but I hope you guys liked it!

**Links in profile:** (1) Pictures of Tenten's short program dress, (2) YouTube video of Tenten's short program.

**Note #1: **She won the competition the next day — _65.82_ (short program)+_133.70_ (just 0.25 off her personal best for free skate) = _199.52_ (personal best total score)

**Inspirations:** (1) Maito Gai's love of green and his "Springtime of Youth" catchphrase; (2) Tenten's program is loosely based on Lu Chen's beautifully choreographed short program to"_Spring Breeze_" at the1996 World Championships.

**Next chapter:** The Grand Prix Final Championships.

**Song/Theme:** "Something" by The Beatles


	8. Lightweight

(Posted: 04/05/2013.)

Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth anime spin-off has ended. I don't like that.

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**08. LIGHTWEIGHT**

**.**

_"Make a promise, please_

_You'll always be in reach_

_Just in case I need you there when I call_

_This is all so new; seems too good to be true_

_Could this really be a safe place to fall_?"

* * *

"_It's wonderful. It means so much to skate well, and then be rewarded on top of that is icing on the cake."_

**—****Sasha Cohen, American figure skater and Olympic silver medalist**

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, early December)**

_(7 December, Fifth season on the senior level.)_

Otogakure of Sound Country was actually kind of stunning. In a country known more for it plentiful rice fields and stunning lakes, it was no exception to the rule. While its region did not have any rice fields, the city was blessed with large lakes and dramatic rock-strewn mountains dotted with green trees. In the summers, it was generally very warm and the winters were usually capped by rain and snow. To the west lay majestic mountains that seemed to glow red when hit directly by sunlight.

Though, of course, it was wintertime.

Snow had decorated much of the landscape and the skies overhead were a bright and almost blinding grey. Inside the Ajito Ice Arena, located in the northwestern part of Otogakure, people were gearing up for a week-long figure skating event.

The Grand Prix Final (GPF), formerly the Champions Series Final, was an international, senior-level skating figure skating competition for mens' and ladies' singles, pairs' skating, and ice dancing. It was the finale of the ISU Grand Prix series which consisted of six qualifying events, though skaters could only compete in two of the six in order to qualify for the GPF. The top six skaters or teams (the ones who earned enough points according to placement) from each of the four disciplines would compete in the Final.

With the way she'd performed last year at this competition, Tenten was certainly looking for a way to redeem herself and show everyone that she wasn't past her prime. Winning the Grand Prix Final wasn't exactly a long-shot, what with her relatively recently-earned double golds from her two Grand Prix assignments. Buzz had been building around her ever since her performances in Lightning Country a few weeks ago and in Fire Country afterwards. It was rare for a skater or a team to start out so well (Tenten had received two personal best scores—from what she heard, she hadnt been the only one) at the very beginning of the season. So, naturally, people were excited about the Grand Prix Final. There were, however, five other women who had earned their place in this final event as well.

Her main rival climbing up the ranks from junior to senior level, Sabaku Temari, had withdrawn two days prior to the start of the competition because she sustained an ill-timed injury—not enough time to bring in an alternate skater—and thus would be unable to defend her GPF title. That trimmed the number of competitors from six down to a total of five, which also included the hometown favorite, the notorious Tsuchi Kin.

(It felt a little empty without her biggest rival.)

But she wasn't going to fret about that—she had a competition to win.

—

Five ladies took to the ice, warming-up for the short program at the Grand Prix Final. All, with the exception of Samui (who was wearing a bodysuit), wore dresses— some more sparkly and ostentatious than others. Tenten wore the same dress that she'd worn for the previous two GP events, and it was likely she'd be sticking to her simple, yet elegant costume. All the girls set out to warm up their bodies, most skating around and practicing their jumps. To spectators, all the girls seemed to be doing just fine.

All except Tenten.

Throughout her warm-up, she'd been practicing her jumps like usual. The two triple flips and the lone double axel she did turned out great. But when it came time to do her triple-triple combination, she came up a little short. When she skated in that long, backwards direction to gear up for the lutz, someone had (unintentionally) gotten in her way, which was "fine, okay, whatever"—with five skaters whizzing by each other on the ice trying to practice, available space was limited.

Her second attempt was just shitty. Really, there was no other way to describe it. She caught an edge on the lutz, salvaging her landing in favor of staying upright as opposed to attempting the triple toe and failing even harder.

Some in the audience had found her third attempt quite funny. Tenten had tried once more at the opposite side of the rink. She vaulted off her ice for the triple lutz—_perfect!_—and then touched down again for the triple toe. It had been going so perfectly, until Tenten ran out of room.

Of course it would happen to her.

It wasn't like she'd slipped and fallen on the ice. No, she had _literally_ run out of room to perform the triple toe. As she was landing, her body had actually _hit _the boards and she'd fallen on her butt in front of the whole stadium.

(It was a little embarrassing.)

Tenten sat still on the ice for a few seconds, a bit dazed and confused, before looking up and around. She'd heard the collective gasp of the audience when she fell and was quite sure the _thud_ that her body made when it hit the boards on impact had been quite loud. Mortified, she gave the crowd an embarrassed smile. They, in turn, reacted warmly by laughing and clapping when she got up off the ice.

Still, Tenten skated around for a few seconds, trying to get her mind calm. Her thoughts were filled with doubt. The same thing had happened to her at the previous World Championships, when she'd fallen on her triple-triple combination at the beginning of the program and everything seemed to fall apart. What it going to happen again here?

_No!_

Tenten shook her head. _No, no, no!_ She had done well at the morning practices since she got to Sound Country. And this was just a warm-up.

_That's right, this is just a warm-up session. There is nothing to fear. You're thinking too much, Tenten. Too much!_

When it came time for the skaters to leave the ice because the warm-up had ended, Tenten walked over to her coach, who handed Tenten back her "Fire Country"-emblazoned athletic jacket and her skate guards, as cameramen swarmed to capture the moment for the viewers at home.

Gai-_sensei_, who had seemed to sense her self-doubts, said, "Tenten, it's just the warm-up. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

And she believed him.

Even with the media attention, Tenten was able to cope with it with a mixture of experience and encouraging words from her coach. As strong as a personality as he may be, Maito Gai was also immensely encouraging, which had done wonders for Tenten's confidence (as well as her ego). With the changes in her skating team, Tenten had gained a new sort of confidence that had granted her new technique and style. Now all she had to do was show everyone how much she'd changed.

When it was time to take the ice, Tenten slowly and calmly inhaled and then exhaled.

"Just give it your best, little lotus," Gai said to her by the boards before she skated off to the center of the ice. "Give it your best and everything will go smoothly. Just like in Lightning Country two months ago, the fire of _youth_ will burn brightly once again!"

(He sent a little prayer to whichever _Kami-sama_ was listening anyway. Just in case.)

As the music to "Spring Breeze" began, Tenten opened with a series of beautifully choreographed arm movements, just like Kurenai-_sensei_ and she worked on together. They'd actually changed some of the choreography in the program because they'd felt that some of the movements and the order of the elements weren't working. This tweaked version of the program had Tenten's movements choreographed better to the music.

She then turned around to one side of the rink before finally gliding on the outside edge of her left skate blade, and directed her right toe pick onto the ice. Three times she rotated as she flew into the air before landing with her back nice and straight and then flying into the air once more.

_Perfect_.

She smiled with satisfaction as she completed the jump combination. _Just have to take things one step at a time. _

Tenten followed the triple-triple up with the triple flip and a double axel (performed in the back half of the program) and everything in between. Grinning, she smiled and waved to the crowd after she was finished. Tenten believed that she had certainly skated well, but figure skating was still a subjective sport. She had no way of knowing what the judges thought of her performance, no way of knowing if her technique had pulled through in her performance.

Even if she was a veteran in the sport, Tenten was still not completely comfortable with the fact that nine judges held her fate in their hands. Nine judges who, were influenced by what direction they thought the sport should be going, as well as politics from individual skating federations. There was indubitably always going to be underhanded dealings between the international governing body of skating and individual federations, and even between federations themselves.

Tenten only hoped her performance was enough to propel her to the top.

"_She has earned 39.60 for her technical element score and 30.90 for her program component score for a total of … 70.50 for her short program."_

Well, shit.

_"She is currently in ... first place!"_

It was the best score she'd gotten all season—actually that was the second-best short program score she'd ever gotten! (Her best had been 71.95 at the World Championships the month after the previous Olympics. She'd won her World title there.)

The skater who had won a disputed bronze last year at the same event would now once again be one of the skaters to watch out for.

Before she was whisked away backstage to do after-program interviews, a small thought arose from the back of her mind.

Without a doubt, the girl who was a complete question mark all last season was once again a contender.

—

"Tenten! Hey, great job today!"

"Thanks!"

"We're going to do some arts and crafts for Nanao's birthday. Wanna come?" a passing Fire Country ice dancer stopped and asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Tenten replied, pressing the pad of one finger to her lips. "I'll be there in an hour or so. Your room, right?"

"Yup! A bunch of us are going to be there. Just knock!"

"Okay! See you then!"

She was still brimming with excitement as she walked down the hall to her hotel room later that night. Members of her federation had praised her and told her what a great job she'd done, her own skating team had been positively tickled at her showing, and Gai had been positively beaming with joy at her performance. Fans that had come to watch her also shared her excitement and told her as much when she'd stopped to sign autographs.

So, Tenten somehow figured that it would be great to check the figure skating forums for thoughts on her performance.

She really knew she shouldn't have done it. With all her years of being a public figure, one would have thought that she'd learned by now.

_"Tenten and Samui's scores are inflated, considering that their jumps should have been downgraded. The technical specialist on the judging panel must be on both the FCFSA and LCSU's payroll to avoid those calls."_

_"70 points? Overscored again. She's SO overrated. Tenten truly is the PCS queen."_

Most of the posts made by people were _actually_ kind and supportive with quite a bit of excitement thrown around, but it was just human nature to latch onto the blatantly negative ones. Not the ones that fairly criticized her skating, but ones that expressed distaste for her no matter what she did and no matter how she skated. In their eyes, she could only do wrong. She wasn't so sure what she did to warrant such negativity from these strangers, but it made her feel even more uncomfortable just trying to figure it all out.

"Tenten, did you hear anything I said?"

"Huh—what? Oh, sorry."

"Is there something plaguing you?"

"No, nothing!" Tenten said, rubbing her nose and tucking her hair behind her ear. "You said something about Hanabi?"

"She has discovered boys," Neji said gruffly, the shoddy internet connection froze on the image of an irritated Neji.

"Neji, she's fourteen. You knew it was bound to start at some point in her life," she laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Hn."

"Oh, loosen up. She'll be fine."

"There _is_ something bothering you. I can see it in your face."

Tenten, who was taken by surprise at the statement, briefly paused before replying with, "There's nothing wrong. What makes you think anything is wrong?"

_"Tenten."_

"I might have ... gone on the forums again and read some shitty things," she answered reluctantly. "I don't get it. No matter what I do, some people just don't feel comfortable unless they say something caustic about me. I'd understand if they don't like my skating, but they make me out to be a cheat!"

"Some people simply like to hate others without reason," Neji said. "You need to ignore them."

"Ugh, _I know_. But it's always so damn tempting to see what others thought of my performance," Tenten sighed. "It's like, a guilty pleasure."

"Then remember that for every vitriolic crap someone spews about you, there are ten times more words of support."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it," Tenten muttered. "But I guess you're right. I have amazing friends and family who love and support me for being, well, me," she said with conviction.

"As well as fans who love your skating and think that you are utterly adorable, which I _know_ to be false."

"Cuter than you," she quipped. "Juuken looks like he's having the time of his life sleeping on your floor."

She watched Neji look behind him. The Hyuuga family's young Leonberger looked like he was caught in a dream. Juuken was laying on his side on the floor and his left leg kept twitching. "He was more amusing yesterday, his paws were up in the air again," Neji said as he turned back to the screen. "So, did you receive any marriage proposals today?"

"No, but a mother pleaded on behalf of her son," Tenten giggled. "It was so awkward!"

"Perhaps you should have said yes; then you would make a living being a trophy wife for life."

"Neji!"

He smirked and Tenten rolled her eyes before continuing. "So, we went out to a seafood joint today. It was actually pretty good. Gai-sensei ate so much! Me and Lee kinda just sat there watching him shovel all that food into his mouth..."

"Was it still difficult today?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," Tenten answered, biting her lip. "I had steamed fish with a bit of mashed cauliflower today. I tried to finish it, but it's just—my natural instinct is to completely devour it, I mean, it smelled so good! But I've trained myself for so long to not eat when I see food …"

"But you did eat, didn't you?"

"I did, but it was really … difficult. It's as if my brain and my body are at war. It's really, really hard, Neji!" she exclaimed, frustrated. "I practically had to convince myself to eat. I think it's just going to take a while for me to not see food as the enemy, but at least I don't skip meals anymore."

Neji nodded. "Portion control probably helps. No dessert then?"

"Had a couple of cherries and strawberries. Red ones, 'cause you know, red fruit contain antioxidants that help reduce lactic acid build-up in muscles—because lactic acid can cause fatigue … or whatever," she recited monotonously.

"Am I to assume that you are following your new nutritionist's diet regimen?"

"I guess so. She was really understanding, since—well, let's face it, eating disorders aren't uncommon in skating. Anyway, it's a 1200-calorie diet, which obviously isn't considered "enough" to sustain me, but I think it's a good option for me, seeing that I'm still a figure skater who needs to jump and all."

"Then you will no longer sustain yourself on a single piece of fruit every day, I would think."

"Of course I won't!"

"As long you are not starving all the time, I am not worried."

"Stupid," she muttered, embarrassed at his attention.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Tenten replied. "Anyway, how was your day?"

From the other side of the screen, Neji shook his head.

**- - - x - - -**

_(8 December, one day later.)_

The next day, Tenten was back out on the ice at the Ajito Ice Arena, already in full red and gold costume for the six-minute warm-up before the competition. Once again, she felt good on the ice and was ready to reclaim the title that Temari had taken from her a year ago. She'd drawn to skate next-to-last, which was perfectly fine. Tenten hated being the very last competitor to skate, so it was fortunate for her that she wasn't.

When she felt like she had her legs under her, Tenten planned to make the most out of the remaining five minutes in practicing jumps. She built up her speed before assuming a layback Ina Bauer position— a move that served as an entrance which would earn her more points if done correctly— before entering into a double axel. She spun twice and a half in the air before touching down on her right foot and propelling herself up again using her left foot.

She was midair when she felt it. It was a weird sensation, nothing like she usually felt when she was rotating in the air. Everything happened so fast, and before she knew it, she was lying on her stomach on the cold, cold ice. Shocked, she couldn't feel anything as she rolled onto her side. She faintly heard people yelling behind the boards, but she was still trying to figure out what happened.

Two feet away, Kin was picking herself up from the ice.

Everything finally clicked in place. She and Kin must've collided; that's how they both ended up on the ice. The younger skater from Sound Country shot Tenten a look of contempt before speeding away.

_Did she just ..._

"Hey, you good?"

Tenten looked up and Samui's form hovering over her, one hand holding a water bottle and the other on her hip.

"Yeah, I think so," she answered Samui. "Did I crash into her?"

"More like she crashed into you," Samui muttered while keeping an eye on Tenten and taking a gulp of water under her coach's watchful gaze. "Looked as if she deliberately got in your way. Hm. I don't think she expected you to crash into her though."

"That's so stupid." Skaters knew better than to deliberately sabotage their competitors on the ice during a practice. It was incredibly stupid to do such a thing because the skater risked bodily injury to themselves, which would take them out of the competition.

"She seems to be up to her annoying little games again," Samui said airily before quickly skating away, eager to make the most of what was left of the warm-up period.

_So that little bitch really _did_ smirk at me …_

_—_

One by one, three skaters performed before Tenten did. The nerves that had formed after the warm-up collision had seemed to double, and it was hard getting her concentration back together again. Impressively enough, three skaters from Lightning Country had made it to the GPF, and all had drawn to skate consecutively before Tenten would. Two of the skaters were bordering on the junior-senior level, having been old enough to participate in the senior-level Grand Prix series, but not the World Championships. Even so, they were freakishly talented for their age (14 and 15), with impressive technical arsenals as well as flexibility. But what they lacked was maturity in their skating, which would only come with time.

It was pretty much Tenten's only saving grace from these upcoming champions. Well, that and it seemed that the puberty monster hadn't affected them yet. Who knew if their jumps would hold up when it hit?

Many skaters who were talented on the junior level hit puberty when they transitioned onto the senior level, only to lose their jumps to changes in height and body-types.

Suzuki Samui was the third to skate and the most decorated and accomplished member of the Lightning Country trio; Tenten had lost the World title to Samui the year after the Olympics who then lost it to Temari last year. Her music selections were always soft, lyrical music which showcased her gentility and she was definitely the most elegant skater competing on the amateur stage today.

But it was also a weakness because some thought of Samui as a one-note skater, with no variations on her style. This season, it would be to Mozart's "Concerto No.23", a piece of music with the piano taking center stage. Samui's costume was an arm-to-legs body suit, which was designed to resemble something like a night sky. Tenten admitted that in its simplicity, it was also very beautiful.

But as Tenten stood with her coach backstage, she could hear everything. Every jump, every spin, everything that the crowd cheered for in Samui's performance, Tenten heard. When at last Samui's scores were announced (free skate score of 129.68 for a total of _193.87_), Tenten didn't feel any better. Samui had performed really well.

When it was time for Tenten to skate, she exited the backstage. Gai was uttering some last-minute words of encouragement to her (_"Just like you practiced; you can do it!"_) and she took the ice. Tenten skated around the rink once, just to get her bearings—the nervousness curled up in her stomach after the accident had dissipated in the time that the three skaters before her took to complete their program.

She got into her starting position.

As the violins started playing the beginning to her personalized cut of "Scheherazade", a Rimsky-Korsakov song, Tenten had switched to full autopilot mode. She completed her first two jumping passes relatively flawlessly, a quadruple toe loop (not her best; she had a suspicion that it would definitely be downgraded, but the applause had been _deafening_) and a triple lutz-triple toe combination. With each jump landed, she reveled in the applause. Her concentration started to come back from the weird place.

There was a small choreographic passage between her second and third jumping pass, and she took that time to get her wits about her. Unfortunately, that little space between passes only served to think too much about what was lying ahead. Skating backwards, she readied herself for her three-jump combination: the double axel-double toe-double loop.

_Shit, too tight!_

She struggled to balance after the double axel, having stepped out quite a lot to keep from falling and from getting a mandatory one-point deduction. Tenten didn't even try to attempt the double toe and double loop after it, knowing that she'd fail miserably.

She would have to add those two jumps elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the shaky landing on the double axel also affected the next element in her program, a sit spin. She'd almost achieved the number of rotations necessary to garner a level 4 when her blade caught the ice again and she assumed an upright position before she noticeably botched it up even further.

_Okay Tenten, focus! You've screwed this up enough already, so how are you going to fix it?_

She tried to make up for the mistake in her jump combination earlier by tacking a double loop to the end of her double axel-triple toe combination (Tenten suspected that there might have been a slight double-footed landing on that and/or downgrade to that), as well as adding a double toe to a triple flip. All the elements following that were thankfully fine. She lost herself in the music, moving fluidly to the different sounds and chords just as her mother had taught her to. She flew into her last jump—her second triple lutz—before flying into her combination spin and punctuating her program with an exquisite Y-spin.

When she looked up, she was relieved to see the audience standing and cheering, having made the mistake she did. But there they were, roaring with a few Fire Country flags being waved.

It wasn't the redeeming performance that she'd hoped for, and sitting in the kiss and cry area only served to increase her anxiety. Talking to Gai-_sensei_ served to calm her nerves a little bit; his always-overwhelming personality never failed to make her smile. Winning would be nice, but all Tenten really wanted in this moment was to at least medal.

She barely registered the announcer calling her name and introducing her scores.

"_She has achieved a technical score of 65.56 and a program component score of 58.60. That gives her a free-skating score of 124.16 and brings her total to 194.66. That puts her currently in … first place!"_

Tenten could not believe her eyes. She was in first place ahead of Samui. The other skater had won the free skate, which was completely justified, seeing a cleaner program had been skated tonight by Samui. Tenten was actually more shocked at the fact that she herself had actually _won— _the gap between them was so small; only a little more than a point!—and she supposed the judges had found less fault with her performance more than she thought they did. Sure, it was a few points less than the personal best she'd gotten a few weeks back, but damn—this was definitely shaping up to be a better season than the last!

As it turned out, Tsuchi Kin would fail at her own game. Tenten had been biting her nails to see if she could hold on to the gold medal or be bumped down to silver. But she hadn't had to worry; Kin had fallen twice in her free skate, which kept her in the bronze medal position—generous, if one took into account that the event was held in Sound Country. Though, no one but the fans and reporters ever brought up that kind of topic publicly.

In the end, Tenten figured out that she had won by virtue of the short program— she had had a five-point lead over Samui at that point. Samui, in turn, had won the free skate by about four points, which hadn't been enough to overtake Tenten's overall score. Kin finished about fifteen points behind both of them.

Tenten would cherish her gold and keep the smile plastered on her face.

* * *

**Edited:** 05 July 2013

**Links in profile:** (1) Pictures of Samui's long program costume, (2) YouTube video of Samui's long program.

**I was almost not going to** complete this chapter and take a long-ass hiatus because I was so pissed off at the men's overall results at the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships. Ugh. I love writing this story, but I have to admit, sometimes the judging in figure skating makes me _seriously_ question why I still follow the sport. But then ice dancing (Davis/White are indubitably the greatest ice dancing team in U.S. history) and the ladies' (Welcome back, Queen Yuna) competitions ended up with podiums I _actually _agreed with and I was super happy and fan-girling again. So yay!

**On another note,** the _Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth_ anime spin-off has officially ended. I am sad. :'(

**Note #1:** The "1200-calorie diet" is based on Olympic figure skater Yuna Kim's diet that was published in the Chosun Ilbo on October 21, 2009, titled "Proper Diet an Essential Part of Kim Yu-na's Success".

**Note #2:** Two of Tenten's programs were featured in this chapter; the first you already know as "Spring Breeze" from chapter seven. The second is Tenten's long program to _Scheherazade_ by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. _More details about that program will be discussed in later chapters_.

**Note #3: **In this chapter, Samui is skating to Mozart's "Concerto No. 23", based on Italian skater Carolina Kostner's free skate during the 2011-2012 season, in which she won the World title.

**Song/Theme:** "Lightweight" by Demi Lovato


	9. Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

(Posted: 07/01/2013.)

Daisuke Takahashi is love.

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**09. DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND**

**.**

_"The French are glad to die for love,_

_They delight in fighting duels,_

_But I prefer a man who lives and gives …_

_expensive jewels!_"

* * *

_"Of course I'm very disappointed, but I see this as a temporary setback. I intend to follow the doctor's orders, get well and be back competing as soon as possible."_

**—****Michelle Kwan, on sustaining an injury during the early 2005-2006 Olympic season.**

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, late December to late January)**

**Ryū Withdraws From F.C. Nationals **

By Tatami Iwashi, _December 18_

Ryū Tenten, who took the title earlier this month at the Grand Prix Final, will be sidelined from competition for a few weeks due to a minor stress fracture in her left foot sustained in training. She has withdrawn from the Fire Country National Championships which take place next month in Otafuku Gai but has been granted a bye for both the _Godaikoku_ and the World Championships.

''I am disappointed because I really wanted to compete at Nationals,'' Ryū said in a statement on Tuesday. "However, I also want to make sure I recover fully in time for the World Championships, so I do need to follow the doctor's orders.''

Given the usual recovery time for a stress fracture, some speculate that Ryū may not regain top form in time for the ISU_ Godaikoku_ Championships begin in Earth Country in February. She is still, however, among the favorites for the gold medal at the World Championships in Fire Country this March.

**- - - x - - -**

_(10 January, fifth season on the senior level)_

Neji pulled his car into the assigned parking space beside two other sleek cars. The purr of his engine died as he took the keys out of the ignition and got out. He took two sizable items from the passenger's seat as he exited the car, and made his way to the elevators of the vast underground garage.

Tenten lived in the apartment complex that was above this particular garage. It was a relatively new building—she and her family had moved in only a year and a half ago. The complex provided more security and ensured privacy for Tenten from the media and overzealous fans, as opposed to the exposed townhouse that she'd previously lived in.

He knew Tenten really missed that townhouse. In securing privacy for herself and her parents, she sacrificed a few comforts, like the big backyard that she grew up with. Tenten loved natural light and used to spend her days outdoors reading a book in her spare time. At least his expensive car would be safe inside the confines of the underground garage, Neji thought as he pressed the button that would lead him to her floor. He was thankful that Tenten had given him the passcode for the iron gates that sealed the garage from any who wasn't a tenant or invited guest of the building.

"Oh, Neji! I was wondering when you'd pay us a visit," Tenten's mother greeted him at the doorway with fuzzy slippers on.

"Apologies, Huilan-_obasan_, I've been busy lately," he said, taking his shoes off at the door.

"Of course," Huilan smiled. As a former principal dancer in the Konoha Royal Ballet, Ryū Huilan always walked as if she was floating in air. Even now, she retained a keen sense of self-awareness and the space around her. With her shoulders squared back and her head held high, she exuded a kind if tranquility and stillness, except when she got angry—Tenten had definitely inherited that quality. "Do come in, it's quite cold outside, isn't it?"

"Is that you, Neji?" a gruff voice asked from within the house.

"It is, Kenichi-_ojisan_."

Neji found Tenten's father in the clean living room with a drill in his hand building some sort of small table that the family bought at a furniture store. The Ryūs' living room was decorated in both Tea Country and Fire Country ornaments and trinkets, a display of intertwined cultural heritages that was built with love and pride. Pictures of Tenten and her parents lined the top of the fireplace, with a large frame containing a skillfully painted picture of a herd of nine horses taking center stage above them. There was a shrine to the deities that faced the entrance.

"That for me, boy?" Kenichi asked, his lips slightly curled up in a smile as he pointed to the stuffed dragon in Neji's arms.

Ryū Kenichi seemed to be a complete contrast to his wife. His tanned and rough complexion was brought about by countless hours under the sun and changing winds. A construction worker by trade, his body was built by hammering, sawing, and lifting materials every day. His hands alone were a testament of his dedication to his line of work. They were scarred and calloused; on closer inspection, one would notice that he was missing half of his pinky on his right hand—his middle finger would be permanently scarred and his ring finger had been fortunate enough to have been reattached—from a chop-saw accident five years ago.

"Ah," Neji paused, Kenichi-_ojisan_ was intimidating even when he was joking. "This is for Tenten, is good to see you though. How have you been?"

"Good, good. Can't complain," Kenichi answered with a nod.

"Tenten's in her room, dear," Huilan smiled kindly. "The mens' short program is on tonight."

"Of course," Neji nodded and offered the large cloth-wrapped wooden box in his hand out to her. "Aunt Kanako asked me to give this to you."

"Ah! Is this a _wagyū_ beef set?" Huilan asked happily, taking the heavy package out of Neji's offering hands.

"Only the highest-quality beef that Fire Country produces," he said with a slight smile.

"Ohh, you didn't have to," Huilan laughed. "Well, go on, my daughter probably wants some company."

Neji found Tenten in her room, just as her mother had said. She was leaning against her bed's headboard, hands folded neatly in her lap as she kept her gaze on the television in front of her. Her left leg was no longer bound in a thick cast, as it had already been taken late last month. Her hair was put up into twin buns; it looked as though she'd been napping earlier, since both buns looked a bit loose and lop-sided. Neji lightly rapped on the doorframe to alert her of his presence.

"Hey," Tenten greeted, her concentration on the television broken. "What are you doing here?"

"Just dropped something off for your mom," Neji shrugged. "Your parents will probably be eating better than you do this week. I have something for you as well."

"Ooh, thanks!" Tenten cooed as Neji handed her the over-sized plush dragon. "Come, sit!" Tenten demanded, patting the empty spot next to her. Neji sighed and planted himself onto the bed next to her.

"I heard a skating official came around your rink the other day. What did he want?" Neji asked, raising a brow.

Tenten sighed, looking intently at the dragon. "I wasn't there, of course, but Gai-_sensei_ told me that he'd wanted to know if there was any chance of me competing at Nationals. _Like I'd lie about that sort of thing_," she scoffed. "Anyway, both Gai-_sensei_ and Hiruzen-_sensei_ told him no."

"The Federation actually _sent_ someone to check on you?" Neji asked incredulously.

Tenten shrugged. "I don't know. I think he came on his own accord; an excuse to check on how Lee was doing, I guess. Gai-_sensei_ thinks that they were afraid that without me, the audience turn-out at the ladies' event would go to shit, but I don't think that's going to happen. It's a pre-Olympic year, for one; and we've got some talented rising skaters as well."

"Hn."

She shrugged. "I do my best, but sometimes I can't do what they ask."

"They ask too much of you, only for you to get little in return," Neji said with an edge to his voice.

"That's not true," Tenten defended. "FCFSA's still a relatively powerful governing body of skating. They know how to throw their weight around."

"All they give you in return is pressure to carry the future of the sport."

"Neji, I get pressure from _everyone_," she emphasized. "They just want to make sure that I'll be ready in time for the World Championships in March since it's going to be in Fire Country this year. I have to do well on my own turf, you know."

"You've been National Champion more times that I can count on one hand," Neji said. "Regaining a World title at home is difficult, but it does not seem like it would be a herculean feat for you."

"Don't do that, Neji. You know I hate it when people say things like that," Tenten said, sighing. "Well, but at least I got a bye for both the _Godaikoku_ and World Championships."

"You are Ryū Tenten. You are now a two-time Grand Prix Final champion, a past World champion, undoubtedly the best female skater Fire Country has right now. The powers that be would be incredibly stupid not to send you."

"Don't sell me short," Tenten mocked. "I've been GPF champion three times, not two. And you forgot to add two-time _Godaikoku_ champion as well."

Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course."

"You're coming though, right?" Tenten asked. "To watch me skate?"

"Of course," Neji said matter-of-factly, winding one of his arms around her and pulling her into a side hug. "You _did_ say that the World Championships are only held in Fire Country every decade or so. How could I miss that?"

Tenten smiled and leaned a little into his embrace. "I think I'm going to name you Nejimi," she spoke, raising the floppy dragon up in the air.

"_What_?"

"Yep, she's a farty dragon. Whenever she farts, her mouth opens a flames shoot out."

"You are not seriously naming a flatulent dragon after me."

"Mmm, yes, I am."

"No," Neji said, disgusted. He turned his gaze to her writing desk, and saw that it was full of little trinkets. "From your fans?"

"Mhmm," Tenten said happily. "Someone even _crocheted_ two teddy bears for me and then hand-made my _Spring Breeze_ and _Scheherazade _costumes for them!"

There were gifts of all sorts: booklets containing her images, toys, and small piles of letters were scattered around the length of the table. What was amazing was that most of them looked hand-made. These were testaments how much her fans loved her skating and the amount of work and dedication put into most of the gifts were actually quite heart-warming.

(They made his store-bought gift look a little pitiful, actually—expensive as it may have been.)

"Lee's coming up next; I promised him I wouldn't miss it."

As he relaxed leaned against the headboard, he took the chance to look closer at her foot, but the fuzzy socks she wore obscured his vision. "Have you been allowed back on the ice?" he asked, pointing to her foot.

"Yeah, spending two weeks off the ice drove me crazy," she replied.

(She basically had cabin fever those two weeks.)

"Gracious, the first time I put my injured foot on the ice again felt _so_ foreign. I seriously almost panicked. Progress is a little slower than I'd like, but it's not too bad; I'll get my jumps back in no time. Kurenai-_sensei_'s monitoring my progress since Gai-_sensei_'s away at Nationals with Lee.

"It felt that strange?"

"Yeah, it really did," Tenten answered. "Anyway, ooh! Lee's up!"

"_Here's one of the headliners; nineteen-year old Rock Lee. This is the man who's made it to the podium three years now: bronze once and silver twice; I'm sure he's looking to reach the top step."_

_"That's right, he's really made a name for himself in the world these past few years. Was the surprise Grand Prix Final champion this past December."_

"Surprise champion, my ass," Tenten whispered. Neji raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"_Trains with Maito Gai in Konoha with his training mate, Ryū Tenten, who is missing Nationals due to an injury."_

_"If you look closely at his left hand, he is wearing an orange glove which is supposed to represent the head of a swan. The music is "The Swan" by Camille St. Saens."_

_"The glove's name is Shimura, by the way,"_ the commentator, presumably Kotetsu, giggled._ "You know, it's interesting because this piece of music is usually skated to by female skaters."_

Neji watched in surprise as Lee seemed to skate into his opening position with more grace than Neji thought he _ever _possessed.

"_Sometimes the adrenaline can really just take over for him— and the triple axel … BEAUTIFUL!"_

_"There are just some pieces of music that you have just got to be a great skater to skate to. Honestly, I think he's made the right choice to agree to skate to this. Yuuhi Kurenai has proved once again that she is not only a skating champion, but a talented choreographer as well. Who'd have thought to choose this piece for a man?"_

"_And this combination right here, will he—QUAD SALCHOW! DOUBLE TOE!"_

"Yes! Yes! Get it, Lee!" Tenten yelled excitedly. "Just one more jump!"

(Neji tried his hardest to repress the intense discomfort that has settled in his chest. Because there was no way he was jealous of Lee. Of _Lee!_)

_"This guy—skating like there's no one else in the building and nothing else on his mind."_

_"You can tell he's improved a lot, artistically. I remember the three of us were sitting here commenting about how he needed to work on his artistry—he used simply wave his arms around the duration of his program, but here ... wow. Beautiful circular footwork."_

"_You know, there's a sense that if you tell him he can't do something, he'll set out to prove you wrong—and a triple lutz!"_

_"This is really an unusual performance—Rock Lee takes on the role of both, I think, a male and a female swan, which actually makes for an intriguing combination of lyrical skating."_

_"Strong footwork sequence—I can little shade of Maito Gai there."_

It was actually really uncanny how fluid Lee's moves were. It was something he never expected out of the impulsive skater, but here it was, happening on the screen in front of him. Then again, he'd also never expected to see Lee wearing a color other than green.

(Though, a black and white bodysuit wasn't much better. It was still a bodysuit, even without the green.)

_"There's something about the way he lands; it's like a swan in water. This sit spin is well-centered, clean."_

_"Okay, I'm speaking honestly here. When I first saw the program, I thought it was an absolute joke. But now, it's just—it's the quality of skating that counts. The way this guy moves from one end of the rink to the other has improved significantly."_

Tenten cheered from the comfort of her own bed just as there was overwhelming applause for Lee in the stadium. He would never admit it out loud, but Neji sincerely believed that Lee had done well and defied all expectations and judgments that had been passed onto the skater. There was the same kind of determination burning in Lee's eyes that he often saw in Tenten's eyes. There was really no wonder how the two had come to be Maito Gai's students.

Tenten had flown into a series of mutterings as the slow-motion playbacks appeared on screen. Neji knew she was counting the number of revolutions in Lee's spins and if his jumps had completed the right number of revolutions ("_No more than ¼ rotation off!"_) to be counted as clean and ratified jumps.

He watched in amusement as Tenten clutched her new stuffed animal as if it was her lifeline. Skating was her life, and Lee had become a good friend to her in the relatively short time that they'd trained together. Neji knew about the adversities that Lee had faced as a child and he knew how protective Tenten was over her training partner.

(_Not _jealous!)

Though, Neji was allowed some relief as the bun-haired girl clutched the dragon to her chest when the scores were being announced. It was nice to see that his gift had been chosen above the others. That wasn't to say the apparently "flatulent dragon" wasn't facing stiff competition from the fans' gifts.

_"Total element score is 43.19; program component score 43.44. That gives a total score of 86.63 and it gets a tremendous wow from Rock Lee. As the last competitor of the night, he is currently in first place!"_

"Hell yes!"

**- - - x - - -**

_(26 January, two weeks later.)_

What the hell was he doing here?

"If you don't mind, Aunt Kanako, I will be waiting in the car."

"Neji," his aunt interrupted, "Someday, I hope you'll find the right woman and get married. Now, if you're going to get married such a woman, you're going to have to propose with a ring she'll love. Before then, you will be showering her with shiny things because girls love shiny things. And you will learn how to pick things out _yourself_ starting _now_."

He _detested_ shopping (for other people).

Their haunt of the moment was a boutique of a luxury jewelry company called _Tsuki_, which was well-known around the world for its long legacy of selling fine jewels and first-rate timepieces.

Neji was beyond bewildered. He was only nineteen! "Aunt Kanako, I would hope that marriage is still a long ways off for me—"

"All the better to start now, my dear. Then you can spoil—or grovel for forgiveness— any worthy girlfriend that you manage to snag along the way."

"Yeah, _niisan_," Hanabi snickered beside him. Neji wisely chose to stay quiet.

"Welcome to _Tsuki_, how can I help you tod—Ah! Lady Hyuuga, welcome!"

"Good morning, Hikaru," she greeted. "Is Michiru in today?"

"Apologies, Lady Hyuuga, but he is not. My father has returned to Moon Country for the next two months."

"Ah, well, no matter. I'm here to pick out an engagement gift for a relative."

"Well, we do have a new collection this year …"

Neji tuned out as his aunt and the jeweler began talking about new collections of jewelry and the like. Chancing a look down to the display cases, Neji was overwhelmed by the vast amount of jewels that sat upon red velvet pillows. There were rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets adorned in all kinds of jewels like diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and other gemstones. It was a wonder how a woman, let alone anyone, picked something special out of the vast collection of decorative ornaments.

Regardless, his eyes swept over each case with attention to detail as he walked slowly along each display case—his aunt would be a while anyway. Some jewels were shaped into geometric patterns, others into recognizable shapes like hearts and stars. Faintly, he wondered how a man ever could ever buy a woman the right kind of jewelry; he certainly never personally chose anything of the sort for his ex-girlfriends.

When it came down to that, he'd either taken his cousins or Tenten along to choose something for him; all he'd had to do was pay for it. It had been a bit impersonal; true, but he didn't have any kind of patience for picking jewelry. Nonetheless, his exes had all seemed to be happy with his purchases, so he had seen nothing wrong with it.

When he reached a sign that boasted the "_Golden Selene _Collection," something caught his eye.

Stopping mid-step, Neji turned around fully to examine that which had attracted his attention. It was a pair of earrings, fashioned from rose gold and embellished with clear stones. At further inspection, Neji realized that they had been created in the shape of crown tiaras with teardrop sapphires hanging from them.

"Do you see anything you like, sir?"

Nodding, Neji pointed to the pair of earrings. "Yes. Those."

"Excellent choice," the sales assistant said, unlocking the glass case and taking the pair out. "These are 18-karat gold and embellished with diamonds from Moon Country."

He picked them up and gently rolled them over in his fingers. They glittered brightly in his hands; catching the lights overhead. They were obviously very well-kept.

"Ooh! Those are pretty!"

He had been so occupied in his observations that he'd missed his cousin sneaking up on him. "Hanabi," he said, regaining his composure as he gently placed the earrings back on their tiny velvet stand. "I thought you were looking around for Kō and Shizuka's engagement gifts with Aunt Kanako."

"I was, but Mother's just about done now, I think," Hanabi turned her attentions back to the pair of earrings Neji had chosen. "Who are those for? Are they for Tenten-_neesan_?"

Tenten's birthday was coming up soon, and he _had_ been having trouble with what to give her …

"Hn. Do you think they are suitable?"

Hanabi proceeded to think as she herself picked up the earrings and scrutinized them with her own silver-hued eyes. "Crowns, huh? She _is_ the queen of skating."

"Hn."

"You didn't even think of that did you?"

Neji ignored her.

"Gosh, you are _so_ stupid sometimes," Hanabi muttered. "Come to think of it, these match her Scheherazade costume really well. You could modify it to have a ruby on each one instead of sapphires."

His fourteen-year-old cousin was a genius. The brilliant red of the rubies would represent Tenten's passion for skating and the clear diamonds represented her unparalleled beauty and strength.

(But in all reality, Tenten would like them just because they were sparkly and very pretty.)

"Tenten?" the sales associate asked. Her nametag indicated her name was Akiko. "As in, Ryū Tenten? The skater?"

"Yep, that Tenten," his cousin confirmed. "She's a friend of the family."

"Gracious, she's amazing!" she said, interested. "Yes, I think these would complement her very, very well. Oh, Mr. Tsuki! This young man was debating whether or not these were the right gift for a birthday."

"For Tenten," Hanabi added as the jeweler and her mother approached.

"It seems my nephew actually _does_ have a penchant for picking out jewelry," Kanako added, taking her place beside Neji.

"Oh! I just adore her! I _love_ her Scheherazade dress," said Hikaru excitedly. "Deidara did great work with that. So intricate, yet not overtly ornate …"

"Crown tiara earrings, Neji?" his aunt asked him, turning the leather stand gently.

"They suit her."

"Scheherazade was a queen, and Tenten is practically the Queen of Fire Country skating anyway," Hanabi pointed out.

"And you know what they say," the salesperson said happily, "diamonds _are_ a girl's best friend."

Both his cousin and aunt had good points. Scheherazade was a legendary queen who enchanted a king with seemingly never-ending stories whereas Tenten was a performer who enchanted the masses with her intricate movements and her sheer skill.

Pensive, he asked, "Do you think you could take out the emeralds under the crowns and replace them with rubies?"

"Of course," Hikaru said with confidence.

"Are you sure this is what you want to give her?" Kanako asked Neji.

"Positive." _Nothing else in that display case seems right_.

"Hm. Now that we're done here, we still haven't picked something out for Shizuka."

"But Hanabi said—"

"Oh, no. That was for me," his aunt replied with unabashed honesty.

Neji sighed.

—

A few long city blocks away, Tenten was having a hard time as well, though for different reasons.

The flutes took the lead, followed by the violins, the opening notes of a song she now knew by heart. She threw her head back, opened her eyes, thrust her arms out and pushed back on her blades, sliding backwards in an arch. She threw her hands in the air, ran forward, hopped, pivoted her blades and went in reverse. The orchestra began to play louder, heading into a crescendo.

Rimsky-Korsakov's _Scheherazade _was still playing in the background as she prepared herself for her opening triple salchow (which replaced the quad toe for the time being) by doing a forward outside 3-turn. Tenten initiated the jump by swinging her right leg forward. Three times in the air she rotated, but she felt her blade catch the ice.

She fell.

Not one to break character, Tenten quickly stood up and skated as if she'd never fallen. She then threw herself in a small choreographic passage that was between the failed salchow and her triple-triple combination. She used her whole body—including her facial expressions—to create the enchanting feeling that Scheherazade was supposed to convey.

One foot over the other, her body prepared for a backwards glide. She bent her left knee as her foot leaned in an outside edge, lifted her right leg up from the surface of the ice, and pulled her right arm back. Her right toe-pick drove into the ice, vaulting her straight up into the air as she completed three turns with both arms tucked in and landed on her right foot.

Her left foot hit the ice and Tenten vaulted into the air again. But instinctively, she knew her body's aerial position wasn't right. After two rotations, her instincts took over and she popped the intended triple loop—her right toe pick tapped on the ice and she landed safely as she regained her wits about her.

Frustrated, but still undeterred, Tenten moved onto a spread eagle, making sure that she highlighted the element before she entered her second jump combination. Kurenai-_sensei_ had often said that it was really a shame nowadays that skaters used elements like the Ina Bauer and the spread eagle as entrances into jumps, but never seemed to perform them in a way that made them poignant. She swung her right leg forward, intending to do a double axel, but when she nearly slipped off the edge, she popped that into a single axel into a single toe-loop and then into a single loop.

Then the music abruptly stopped.

Angry, her first thought was: _No, no. I am about to cut a bitch. Who did this?_

She _never_ stopped the music—even in a practice session. Tenten knew the importance of getting through a program in practice; even if she started out with mistakes. It was hard, definitely, for a skater not to start over when he or she fell or botched an element early in the program. Tenten, a disciplined person both on and off the ice, had learned early on to resist that temptation to "start over" every time she made a mistake—she needed to learn how to work through them and make a comeback during the rest of the program.

That could only mean one thing. Gai-_sensei_ had stopped her music—even if it had pained him to do so.

(He confided that he'd been the same way during his competitive days.)

The skater could hear her coach muttering at the side of the rink as she blew out a breath and rubbed her gloved hands together. She slowly skated around with her hands on her hips in an attempt to calm down. A few feet away, Rock Lee was doing a bunch of toe-loop jumps in succession—most likely a self-made challenge. He still needed to learn how to do things in moderation.

_Quad toe, triple toe, double toe, another double toe, and yet another one … Isn't he tired? How many is that now?_

She looked up and managed a smile at the new banner that had been put up on the wall above the mirrors: "Rock Lee, reigning Fire Country National Champion", it had read.

"Tenten," Gai called over to her. "You've been at this for too long. Go home."

"But—"

"Tenten, my youthful flower. You've only just recovered from your stress fracture," he pressed. "It's obvious that you're overworking yourself now. You're already progressing well enough for the _Godaikoku_ Championships next month and for Worlds the month after that."

Sighing, Tenten knew he was right. She had been practicing for longer than she normally would—a testament to how much her strength and endurance levels had increased since training with Gai as well as her determination— but the fact remained that she had only recently recovered. It wouldn't be good to push her luck any further.

When she got home later that day, Tenten was about ready to plop down on her bed and just take a nap—until the ringing of her mobile phone quickly made her alert again.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Tenten, Tenten! Are you home?"

"Sakura? Yeah, what's up?"

"Turn the TV on right now; you know the show that skating discussion show that comes on every week with that one former skater or something—what's his face—"

"_On Thin Ice_?"

"Yeah, that one!"

"But why—they're not talking about me, are they? If they are, I don't want to—"

"They're not, but just watch it, will you?"

"Alright, alright," Tenten conceded, turning the television on. "I'll call you back later."

"… _I think it's absolutely abhorrent that he welcomes all these benefits of the gay community and he doesn't even feel the need to come out of the closet. Yuuhi Kurenai should be ashamed of herself; trying to cheaply appeal to the gay masses by choreographing something that further allows Rock Lee to publically make a fool of himself and of our sport."_

_Rock Lee? Benefits of the gay community? Huh? _Tenten was beyond bewildered. An image of Lee in his _Swan _costume appeared on-screen. Across from the interviewer sat Tsurugi Misumi, a former figure skater who had never won any major international titles ever. Even though he'd competed for Fire Country, Tsurugi had been Yakushi Kabuko's—the skater who had beaten Mitarashi Anko at the Olympics—training partner and had used that connection to his advantage. He was now a skating official within the FCFSA.

This guy was clearly misinformed on so many levels.

"_Just look at his outfit. And whose idea was "Shimura the Swan"?" _Tsurugi scoffed, the lenses of his round glasses reflecting the light as he stuck his nose up into the air."_What a ridiculous cry for public attention."_

"_Well, he's got some good skating skills," _the interviewer tried to amend.

"_Well, I think he's _weird_ and he's not as relatable as Yamashiro Aoba. You know; the three-time national champion until this year? Aoba's style of skating is kind of a reserved masculine kind—with a touch of class. I think, in order for men's figure skating to progress and be successful, we need more of Aoba's style otherwise the sport will turn into one gigantic laughingstock."_

Tenten was beyond pissed. Who the hell did this man—with eyebrows that were literally shaped until they reached his receding hairline—think he was, making such _outrageous_ statements about Lee? He didn't even know him! He had _always_ been a model of hard work in public—it was very widely known that he would often push himself to his limits and was one of the most disciplined skaters in the sport.

"_You know, personally, I wouldn't want a farce like Rock Lee to represent me or my community."_

* * *

Sorry, guys! Been busy. Still busy, but found the time to update! Also, anyone notice that I change my "story image" every time I update? :)

_Links to pictures and videos have been posted in my profile. Have time? Have trouble imagining something I described? Check them out! I will be updating them every time I post a new chapter!_

**Note #1: **If you've watch the "Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals" anime series, you'll know about "Shimura the Swan." "Shimura-style secret strike," anyone?

**Note #2: **This last little "controversy" about Rock Lee and his "_The Swan_" short program is actually based on that of Johnny Weir and his "_The Swan"_ program from 2006. Comments like the ones above were made on a now-cancelled program called _Nancy Kerrigan's World of Skating_ by a guest in 2007—a skating analyst who was also the former publisher of a major skating magazine.

**Note #3:** Tsurugi Misumi was a minor character of the _Naruto_ universe and appeared as Kabuto's teammate during the _Chuunin _Exams (during The Sound Invasion arc).

**Song/Title:** "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" by Marilyn Monroe


	10. All Eyes on Me (Godaikoku Champ, pt 1)

(Posted: 08/01/2013.)

I was listening to some of the songs from the *NSYNC Christmas album from 1998 as I was editing this. And it's only August. #noshame

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**10. ALL EYES ON ME**

**(**_**Godaikoku**_** Championships, part 1)**

**.**

_"_ _How can I let you know _

_I'm more than the dress and the voice? _

_Just reach me out then _

_You would know that you're not dreaming."_

* * *

"_Still, if anyone wrongs me, there'll be a battle. And I love my fans for that. Their emotional support is a huge part of my success—so is their financial support. I literally wouldn't be able to afford to skate if I didn't have fans: they have paid for costumes and on occasion coaching bills. That's why I never feel like I give my fans enough, although I work very hard to keep them happy."_

—**American figure skater Johnny Weir in his autobiography, **_**Welcome to My World**_

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, mid-February)**

_(4-6 February, fifth season on the senior level)_

_"How could they be so careless? Are they not getting paid to _do their jobs?!_"_

Tenten rolled her eyes, sighing as she adjusted the strap of her duffle bag. If she knew Neji was going to be like this, she wouldn't have answered the phone. She waited for Neji to finally stop talking—or at least pause—before quickly speaking.

"Good morning to you too, Neji. Since I've been in Earth Country, my practices have gone well, thanks for asking," she said pointedly.

Tenten swore she could hear the gears in his head struggle to change directions as she silently laughed on her end. Her laugh became vocal as he settled for, _"That— that is good to hear."_

"Don't you have class right now? Stop worrying about me," Tenten said, walking along the street. "I'm fine."

_"No, and that employee's _stupidity_ could have _seriously_ jeopardized your safety,"_ he growled.

"The FCFSA has already taken care of it," Tenten reassured. "They've already contacted Earth Country officials to investigate."

_"Still—"_

Tenten heard a strange shuffling noise on the other end. "Neji? Hello?"

_"Kiba, you bastard! KIBA!"_

_"Yo, Tenten! It's Kiba. I'm sorry, I was the one who showed Neji the article. I tried to stop him—"_

"Hello!" Tenten greeted, grinning. "And really, it's okay. He was going to find out whether or not you told him anyway."

_"Tenten!"_

"Neji, it's fine, really," Tenten said, shaking her head. "It's not _that_ big a deal. The video was pretty harmless."

_"Tenten, people now know where you are staying," _Neji said with utmost seriousness._ "From the footage, they may be able to figure out the floor or the room!"_

"The video's already been taken down," Tenten said, walking towards the practice rink. "And Lee and I have been assigned bodyguards by the Federation."

_"Hn, at least someone is doing something right."_

"_Kami,_ you sound like my parents," Tenten huffed. "Neji, I'll be okay. With all the security around, nothing bad is going to happen, okay?"

_"Tenten—"_

"Thanks for worrying, Neji, but I'll be fine. Anyway, I've gotta go. I'm at the main rink for practice."

Tenten heard Neji sigh at the other end. _"Alright, do well."_

"Of course," Tenten said. "Wait!"

"_What?"_

"You're going to watch my competition tomorrow right?"

_"Really, Tenten? As if that should ever be a doubt."_

Tenten laughed. "Just checking."

"_Hn_."

"Alright then, bye!"

—

_Well, this is certainly shaping up to be a week_, Tenten thought as she put on her headphones and began warming up for the practices.

For the most part, Lee had been just a little shaken by Tsurugi Misumi's comments—more like character assassination—about his skating and questions about his sexual orientation. Lee was relatively thick-skinned when it came to insults; he'd heard worse from other skaters in locker rooms and even from parents of rival skaters as he was rising up the ranks. Sadly, Tenten also knew how that felt like. Most skaters did. No child should be subjected to that, though it happened all the time.

But even he was not immune to such caustic comments, especially since they came from an official within his own skating federation. It certainly didn't help that he had been put on blast on national television either.

He had tried to hide is disappointment and sadness behind a too-wide smile for about a week, but Tenten knew better. So, Gai-_sensei_ and Kurenai-_sensei_ took some serious action and got him fired up again. Tenten had joined in on the effort as well; all she really had to do was challenge him and get him in a training mood, which was actually quite easy. The rink had also been bombarded with letters of support and love from fans from all over the world, which helped a lot to boost Lee's confidence again.

This was why she wasn't surprised when a crowd greeted them at the Iwagakure International Airport in Earth Country about a month later. Tenten herself had many fans that were devoted to her skating, and for that she was grateful. Lee, however, hadn't reached her level of fame in the skating world.

Or so he thought.

Both his and her fans greeted them as they exited the airport terminal. There were flashes from cameras from all around them as airport-goers, reporters, and fans (mainly women around their age, maybe a little older) held cameras, banners, flowers, and autograph books.

Lee had been _positively tickled_ at the sight of his fans. He stopped to take pictures and sign autographs and in return for his apparent kindness, he'd been bombarded with all sort of little gifts, from little squirrel plush toys to boxes of Earth Country-style instant curry mix—apparently, his fans had done their research. They reassured him that his current short program was his best yet, and that Kurenai-_sensei_ had created a masterpiece for him.

One fan in particular had shyly approached him after her friend had pushed her towards him. She bowed once to Tenten and then to Lee before approaching him. "My name is Amaru," the red-haired girl introduced herself, "and it would be an honor if you allowed me to give you a gift."

"For me?" Lee asked, wide-eyed.

Tenten's curiosity was piqued.

Amaru proceeded to reach into an inconspicuous-looking tote bag and took out a beautifully lacquered box. For a moment, Tenten thought the fan had made Lee some lunch, which would be sure to make him happy, but when she handed it to him, Tenten noticed that the box had a metal clasp.

Tenten was sure her and Lee's faces were quite comical as Lee opened the box. Inside, nestled in maroon velvet, were a pair of traditional _nunchaku_ crafted from hardwood, the connecting rope of real horse hairs.

"I flew here, to Iwa, earlier this week so I could pick this gift up," Amaru explained. "I had wanted to give it to you during Nationals, but the craftsman said it would not be ready by then."

Lee had been struck speechless. "How did you … How—"

"You mentioned that your grandfather's set was destroyed in a fire a long time ago. And you've always said you wanted during a few interviews," the red-haired girl explained. "I knew that Earth Country had the best craftsmen for these, so I located one and commissioned for a set around the time of the Grand Prix events. It was just convenient that the _Godaikoku_ Championships were here as well."

"I can't possibly accept this gift," Lee said. Tenten could tell he was getting a little emotional. She only hoped he wouldn't scare the fan away with his declarations of youth.

"My sister had been depressed for a long time," Amaru began. "And she's already had a few suicide attempts. But then your _Swan_ program came along, and it was just so beautiful … and I don't know how, but it inspired her to get better. I cannot possibly thank you enough; so I ask that you accept this gift from my entire family as a sign of our gratitude."

"Then it would be my honor to accept this gift," Lee said, unusually subdued.

(But then he had to ruin the moment by flashing a blindingly white smile, giving her a thumbs-up and winking creepily at her.)

With that, both Tenten and Lee and their skating teams had departed for the airport, the mood around them considerably lightened. They'd been driven to a publically undisclosed hotel—forgoing the "official hotel" of the event due to security and privacy concerns—where they checked in and were taken through the employee route to their hotel rooms.

Once a skater got to a certain competitive level (i.e. winning shiny things), it was just too hard to stay at the "official hotel" of the event. The hotel's name would be published online on the event's official website and fans and reporters alike would swarm the lobby.

All in all, it wasn't much of a surprising day for Tenten, who had grown used to the routine of landing at an airport, greeting fans who had been waiting for quite some time, and then being driven to the hotel in which she'd be staying over the course of the event.

What happened the next day, however, was quite unexpected. In short, the young employee that had helped them check in and shown her and Lee their rooms had hidden a camera somewhere on his person and uploaded the footage online. She and Lee had been notified by Gai-_sensei_, who had been told by the FCFSA skating officials, who had been alerted to the situation by concerned and outraged fans.

The footage contained nothing scandalous. It was two minutes in length, and looked as if they were two clips mashed together, the first was of her and Lee checking in and the second was of them walking along a hotel corridor. There was no indication of which floor her room was in, so she was thankful for that.

The hotel employee who had uploaded it had also made some comments in the video clips, nothing negative of any sort—it was more admiration and awe of the two skaters. But nonetheless, it had been serious enough for her fans to alert her federation and for the FCFSA to take action against it.

The FCFSA had lodged a formal complaint to the Earth Country Figure Skating Union, which had promised it would cooperate with authorities to formally investigate what had occurred and the video had been immediately removed from the website.

Predictably, her parents had called her, both concerned and outraged that their little girl's privacy had been invaded so casually. She had learned that they had bombarded the federation with complaints as well—and had been promised that all of them would be answered. Tenten reassured them that there had been increased security at the hotel and that she hadn't encountered any problems.

She tried to shake it off as best she could. She had a competition to prepare for, after all.

Tenten let out a big sigh as she tried to keep a steady pace around the halls and increased the volume of her music. As she passed the section where Temari, her coach Baki, and a few skating officials were situated, she caught the older skater's glance. She and Temari nodded in polite greeting before the other skater went into a double axel from the ground. The Wind Country skater bounced a little as she landed; such was the case when it was not smooth and slippery ice beneath their feet but concrete.

Being from two different countries, many expected the two skaters to be distant and cold towards each other, especially since Fire Country and Wind Country had been at war with each other nearly a hundred years prior. (Grudges were passed down from generation to generation, it seemed.) Even hardcore figure skating fans were still surprised to learn that they were on such friendly terms.

But there was really no reason not to be.

Any animosity between their countries due to the War had long been settled, but there were those who still expected Tenten to beat Temari—the victories were a source of national pride for their respective countries.

To have been competing against each other for so long, it was all the more reason to be on amicable terms. It was easier that way, to be fueled by a sort of friendly rivalry rather than by animosity. It would have been exhausting enough to try and keep up the enmity throughout the years.

They walked over to the boards as they were getting ready to take the ice. "This is our fifth _Godaikoku_ Championships together," Tenten remarked off-handedly, making sure her skates were laced up properly.

"Don't remind me," Temari made a face and discreetly motioned around them. "It's just us and these _little girls_," she whispered quietly.

A few feet away, a young girl of about fifteen contorted her body and walked on both hands, eager to show that she had what it took to play with the big guns. These days, female skaters were practically required to be flexible. Some sacrificed aestheticism to achieve new and bizarre positions—Kin was one of them. Her flexibility belonged in a circus act.

If asked, she wouldn't lie; most of the newly invented "difficult" positions were pretty ugly, but they were rewarded handsomely in points.

"Honey," Tenten started, "we are _not_ _that_ old."

Even as she said this, Tenten knew what Temari meant. She would turn twenty soon; Temari would be twenty-two in the coming August. They were at the age where most of the women they'd looked up to in their junior years were going into their thirties and had retired. Her own idols, the legendary Senjuu Tsunade and the fierce ice queen Mitarashi Anko, had both retired before they hit twenty-five. So as young as the two of them were, they were already veterans of the sport; both had numerous international medals between them and were fortunate enough to have had valuable Olympic experience.

Temari merely laughed and stepped onto the ice. The conversation was over.

**- - - x - - -**

_(7 February, fifth season on the senior level)_

Prelude to the World Championships, the _Godaikoku_ Championships was an international event that allowed skaters from the Five Great Nations (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Lightning Countries) to participate in one final international senior-A competition before gearing up for the event of the year. (There was separate international competition for other countries.)

But for Tenten, this event was particularly significant because she'd be competing against Sabaku Temari for the first time this season after Temari had pulled out of the GPF due to an ill-timed injury. But seeing Temari speed off onto the ice for the final flight's short program warm-up, it was pretty obvious that the Wind skater had long since recovered from whatever had plagued her.

The five-minute warm-up period passed by in a blur. During that time, the audience applauded whenever a skater was introduced or when a skater did a particular jump well, like when Temari did her money jump: the triple axel—the hardest triple jump of them all.

Unlike the five other jumps (lutz, flip, loop, salchow, and toe-loop), the axel required an extra ½ revolution due to its forward entrance. With the other five jumps, the skater skated backwards into the jump and landed backwards. With the axel, the skater skated forwards into it and landed backwards. So the triple axel was actually 3.5 revolutions in the air and not 3 like other jumps.

It was so difficult that the vast majority of female skaters didn't have one—Tenten included. Temari was in an exclusive club of three women in figure skating history to ever have successfully completed a ratified triple axel in international competition.

And while Tenten was the first and only woman to complete a quadruple jump of any kind, Temari was more successful at the triple axel than Tenten was at the quad toe-loop. The skater from Sunakagure consistently scored a +2.00 grade of execution (GOE) from the judging panel—positive GOE was like extra credit, negative GOE was punishment—and, on a good occasion, even an average of +2.29 GOE out of a total of +3.00.

It was hard enough getting anything above +2.00 (averaged among judges) for a well-executed jump.

Temari was _that_ good at triple axels.

(It went without saying that Tenten was a little bit jealous. Just a little.)

Tenten's only saving grace, jump-wise, was that Temari was incapable of doing a triple loop—the fourth hardest triple jump—due to an old hip injury that was better left alone as it had taken the older skater quite some time to heal from it. (Prior to the back injury, Temari's loop jump had also been spectacular.) In addition to being solo jumps, both the loop and toe-loop jumps were commonly used in jump combinations—an example being Tenten's triple lutz-triple toe and triple lutz-triple loop combinations.

While many skaters did a triple jump-double loop combination, triple jump-triple loop combinations were rare; but they were _major_ point-getters ... if one managed to land one that was actually ratified. Temari's back injury had forced her to skip out on that chance. It really was a shame that Temari had lost her loop jump. Many skating analysts considered her edge jumps (axel, loop, salchow) better than Tenten's, while they considered Tenten's toe jumps (lutz, flip, toeloop) superior to that of Temari's.

But even then, Temari's lack of a triple loop made her and Tenten very closely matched in terms of jump content because Temari's jumps were the closest to textbook quality (execution, technique, _height_, speed, flow and ice coverage) compared to any female amateur skater today—Tenten was a close second.

A _very, very close_ second.

But people usually forgot about the spins, spirals, and everything in between—Tenten was arguably stronger in those aspects.

With the warm-up over, Tenten skated back to the boards to wait with Gai-_sensei_ until her turn. She listened to music to keep calm as she was the fourth and penultimate skater—Temari would skate right after next twenty five-or-so minutes passed by in a blur. She endured cheers from the adoring crowd for other skaters. Some of the loudest ones were for Miyahara Kurotsuchi, the home favorite.

… and before she knew it, it was her turn.

"_Please welcome, Ryū Tenten of Fire Country!"_

Skating to _Spring Breeze_, she'd opened with a triple lutz-triple loop combination, the highly-anticipated upgrade from the triple lutz-triple toe combination to stay above and beyond the level of the upcoming jumping beans. It had been rumored for so long that people doubted Tenten would ever perform it in competition, even doubted her ability to perform one. Next had come the triple flip and double axel, and of course the spins and the spirals—all with her own little flourishes.

Tenten laughed and shook her head as she came out of her ending pose, in disbelief over how she performed; the audience's delight had been so infectious from the start of her program to the very end. They had cheered and cheered throughout her performance—with a complete standing ovation and all after she finished her final spin.

She bowed one, two, three times and half of the 10,000-strong crowd didn't stop cheering until she'd skated to the rink boards and took her blade covers from Gai-_sensei_.

"That was wonderful! Wonderful, little lotus!" Gai-_sensei_ complimented as he gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Gai-_sensei,_" Tenten said, huffing. She tried to catch her breath as she and Gai made their way to the Kiss & Cry.

The crowd, for the most part, had calmed down as slow-motion reels of some of her jumps and spins played on the arena's screen. She and Gai-_sensei_ exchanged a few words as the cameramen lined up in front of them, eager to capture the looks on her and Gai's faces when her scores were announced.

"Hi, everyone at home!" she greeted when the cameras finally turned their attentions back on her; her scores would be announced soon enough. "Hi Mom, hi Dad! Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Shiho! Neji, everyone! Thanks for watching!"

"Oh, look at that combination!" Gai exclaimed, pointing to the monitor in front of them, "The fire of youth coursed through that!"

Tenten's stomach was just fluttering everywhere as she anxiously waited for the scores to be announced. She'd never get used to the waiting time. "Just like you taught me," she grinned, fist bumping him. "Wasn't sure on the double axel when I was in the air, but I think it was okay, yeah?"

"Absolutely," Gai-_sensei_ nodded.

"_The scores please, for __Ryū Tenten."_

Everyone, especially Tenten, eagerly listened for the scores that were only seconds away …

"_With a technical score of 41.63 and a program component score of 34.21, she has earned 75.84 for the short program, which a new personal best. She is currently in ... first place!"_

The arena went crazy over her score, Gai-_sensei _cheered and clappedwith the audience as she clapped her hands to her mouth in pleasant surprise. Never in her wildest dreams—even after she'd become a world champion—did she think she'd ever match up to Kazahana Koyuki's world record score, but here she was, a point and a few tenths past the world record.

Which meant that she now held the new world record for the ladies' short program.

In her periphery, she saw Temari—who _didn't_ even look the _least_ bit fazed by the cheers for Tenten—speaking with her longtime coach, Baki, who was giving her some last-minute reassurances before the older skater would skate away to center ice. Tenten and Gai left the Kiss and Cry area just before the announcer introduced Temari once more to the crowd, choosing to watch the competition backstage on the monitors.

With a short program to the jazzy sounds of the musical film _Chicago_, the Wind Country skater was determined to get the crowd going. It wasn't something that Temari usually skated to; her short programs were usually along the lines of dramatic and alluring. This program was more fun, flirty, and sassy; so this was a bit of a departure from her regular.

Tenten actually really, really liked Temari's dress. The Wind skater was obviously going for a vaudevillian-flapper style with her hand-beaded silver and white dress. It was made with nude-colored illusion fabric with intricate and gorgeous sparkling beaded patterns woven all over and making up the details of the dress. Tenten was sure that the costume was heavier than it looked with all the beads and the rhinestones, especially the fringed skirt; but it was _very_ like the aspiring-showgirl character of Roxie Hart, who was the protagonist of the film.

Despite her fun musical choice, Temari definitely all business when it came to the technical content of her programs. She opted this season include a triple axel in her short program, something that she'd never done in the past. The Wind Country skater had chosen to do two triple axels in competition, one in the short program and one in the free skate—she'd actually done three two years ago (one in the short, two in the long), but for some reason unknown to Tenten, Temari had scrapped that.

Temari had opened with the triple flip-triple toe combination, in which her rotations were quick and high in the air with plenty of room to spare as she came back down on the ice. If she were to compare her own jumps with that of Temari's, Tenten grudgingly admitted that while her own jumps were considered by many to be textbook quality, Temari's was pushing the boundaries of perfection. Temari had tremendous height on her jumps and rotated much faster in the air, allowing nearly a 100% guarantee to have fully rotated her jumps with several inches to spare before her foot even touched the ice.

After the choreographed spiral sequence which had been arranged unconventionally early by CoP standards, came a very strong triple axel with an impossibly soft knee-bend as she landed the awe-inspiring jump. The audience had roared with delight as they lay witness to such a remarkable element in her skating. Tenten herself had even felt breathless—not that she visibly showed it, of course.

Temari followed up with layback spin that was a bit lacking in both speed and stretch (likely due to her old back injury) which preceded a triple lutz. She then breezed right through her flying sit spin that was a bit lacking in speed (Temari wasn't exactly known for her spins anyway), her straight-line footwork sequence (Temari looked like she was having the time of her life), and the final spin, a change-of-foot combination spin that ended with an I-Spin.

Some of the audience had risen to its feet, much like they had done after the performances of the Earth Country stars and of Tenten's. Wind Country flags dotted the monitor as some in the crowd waved them around. Even Tenten nodded in approval to her rival's near-perfect skate, but she was mostly apprehensive of what Temari's score was going to be. Whatever it was, Tenten knew that it was going to be _good_.

"_The scores please for Sabaku Temari of Wind Country. The short program score please."_

"_With a technical score of 43.10 and a program component score of 30.48, she has earned 73.58 for the short program, which a new personal best."_

Temari had scored 73.58, only about a point short of Kazahana Koyuki's world record-setting 74.56 in the short program of the previous Olympics. _Well, shit_. She'd done _fantastically_.

But wait, Koyuki-_senshuu_ didn't have that world record anymore—

"_She is currently in ... second place!"_

—

Press conferences weren't exactly on Tenten's list of favorite things to attend.

But it was a requirement for the top three skaters of the end of the night at every competition to face reporters and answer questions about how they thought they skated and really, just to talk about themselves.

So Tenten found herself—once again—in a room filled with reporters with their note-taking tools and cameramen holding picture-taking contraptions with those gosh-darn flashes that went off every once in a while. She sat in the center while Temari sat to her right and Lightning Country's Yono Karui to her left.

(But it also felt a little nice to gloat. Not that Tenten would ever publically admit it.)

"_Before we begin, will all three of the skaters comment on what they thought about their skating today?"_

"Ah, I am _very_ satisfied with how I skated today," Tenten began, "and also really happy that I was successful with the triple lutz-triple loop combination outside of training and practices after talking about it for so long. Even I was starting to believe that it was all talk and no action," she joked. A couple of the reporters in the room laughed with her. "But overall, I felt good about all the elements that I'd done after I got off the ice, so it was really rewarding to see that I wasn't wrong. I feel very good and very excited going into the long program this coming Saturday."

Temari spoke next. "I am definitely happy with my triple axel. Of course, I'm a bit puzzled at the edge call on my triple lutz," she said pointedly. "Nevertheless, it feels pretty good to have a new personal best score, and I think I've got the right momentum heading into tomorrow's free skate." Temari then motioned for the last skater to talk.

"Well, um, I'm very happy with the way I skated today," Karui started in a very excited, but shaky voice. "I'm happy I was able to do my triple toe-triple toe, and of course, the double axel was a little weird, but I think that, um, I did the rest of my program with good quality and I'm really, really happy to be in the top three after the short program."

"_The floor is now open for questions. Please immediately identify yourself before you pose your question,"_ the moderator then announced from Karui's left.

"_Hi, __Tatami Iwashi __from the Konoha Times of Fire Country. Tenten, you recorded the highest short program score ever today and really, just have done so much in your time on the senior level so far. What it does it mean for you to achieve this milestone in your skating career?"_

"Gosh," Tenten laughed. "I honestly just came here with the intention of testing my left foot after missing the F.C. Nationals because of the stress fracture. Other than that, never did I think I would have the world record here. It really hasn't sunk in yet—I'm very, very happy, because I've felt that I've always had the capability to do so. And I think this also tells me that I still have room to grow and improve before the Olympics next season."

_"This question is for both Tenten and Temari: in the past, you two have been capable of free skate scores of 125 and above. The both of you also scored over 70 points today for the short program, which is rare in itself. Do either of you think that you'll break the elusive 200 total-point score in the free skating event two days from now?"_

Temari answered first. "Well, I know Kazahana Koyuki was the first—and only—female skater to break 200; and the fact that her both her free skate and overall record still stand three years later is incredible. With that said, I'd love to break the 200-point mark. I mean, I definitely think I'm capable of it, but it's a matter of putting it down and getting the job done."

Tenten nodded as she listened to Temari's words. After the other skater finished, Tenten began to speak. "I agree. For me at this point, I'd love to be able to hit that milestone, but the main thing for me in this event is skating clean, since I haven't skated a completely clean free skate in competition in, I don't know, two years? So that's really, really important to me."

"_Hi. I would like to ask Yono Karui: you were on the junior level last year, so how does it feel to currently place third only behind Sabaku Temari and Ryū Tenten on your first year on the senior level while your compatriot Suzuki Samui sits in a surprising sixth place?" _

"_This question is for Sabaku Temari. What does it mean for you to be here at the Godaikoku Championships after missing the Grand Prix Final because you were sick?"_

"_This question is for Sabaku Temari …"_

As the reporters shot off questions, Tenten blanked out when they weren't directed towards her. Temari was relatively eloquent and diplomatic, as usual, while Karui's inexperience with the media and their questions was certainly showing. Still, her excitement certainly made up for her lack of experience.

"_This next question will be the final question of this press conference_," the moderator cut in after a question for both Tenten and Temari.

"_Hi, this is for Ryū Tenten. Last month, a senior skating official from your own federation made some, uh, disparaging comments about your training mate, Rock Lee. What is your take on the whole situation?"_

Yikes.

Tenten took a moment to compose herself before answering. It was not entirely unexpected for a reporter to ask her a question like that—in fact, she'd been expecting it for about a month now. How she'd managed to avoid it for that long, she didn't know, but it didn't help that someone was here, now, and asking for her opinion.

So she took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Ah. Well, I was definitely appalled at the comments Mr. Tsurugi made, especially since there were some pretty baseless claims about Lee's character," she began, swallowing to assuage her now-drying throat.

"In the time that I have gotten to know Rock Lee, I've found that he is someone who is self-assured and certainly very aware of his own identity. I thought he was brave for deviating from his usual style of skating to do something that was completely foreign to him; something not many skaters can boast about. Lee performs _The Swan_ so beautifully, in a way that transcends gender boundaries.

"Saying that Lee isn't relatable or that he's not the "right kind of masculine" because he isn't afraid of doing things differently is something that I will never understand. Personally, I wouldn't mind having Lee represent me or my community, in skating or whatever I am part of. He's hard-working, determined, and open to new ideas, which are some admirable traits. He's also confident without being arrogant, so why wouldn't I want him to be representative of what I am and strive to be?

"Lee and I have talked about this before and we felt that Mr. Tsurugi had a right to voice his opinion, but people also have the right to disagree with it. In this past month alone it's been amazing how many people have stopped Lee in the streets just to tell him to keep his head up—there have been so many letters and gifts sent to the rink by his supporters—it's really heartwarming and great. Those gestures are worth more to Lee than any downbeat comments will ever be and part of what keep him skating. And I'll end with that. Thank you."

* * *

(For those who don't understand skating very well, Tenten has only placed first in the short program. There are two programs you need to complete, the short program and the long program (also known as the free skate), and she has only completed the short program. The long program will take place next chapter and will decide the overall score as well as the winner.)

Also, jumps in order of difficulty (assuming that they are the same number of revolutions):

(1) Axel, (2) Lutz, (3) Flip, (4) Loop, (5) Salchow, (6) Toeloop (a.k.a. "Toe")

* * *

If you review, perhaps there will be more Neji next chapter. (Oh who am I kidding? Of course there will be.)

**New Links in profile: **(1) YouTube video of what Temari's short program is based on, (2) Picture of Temari's short program dress.

**Note #1:** The _Godaikoku_ Championships are based on the European and/or the Four Continents Championships, which are the last major ISU competition before the World Championships. I couldn't call this competition either because Europe and the other continents basically don't exist in Narutoverse. _Godaikoku_ = Five Great Nations.

**Note #2:** Tenten and Lee's "hidden camera situation" was based on an experience of Japanese skater Mao Asada. She had been filmed using a secret camera checking into a South Korean hotel for the 2009 Four Continents Championships in a similar way. Also, Lee's encounter with the fan of gift-giving was also (_loosely!_) based on Johnny Weir's experience with a Japanese fan as described in his autobiography.

**Note #3:** Temari's "Chicago" short program is inspired by Jennifer Kirk's 2003-2004 short program to the same music. Her free skate/long program will be revealed in the next chapter along with Tenten's. However, the inspirations and links for those won't be posted until the World Championships chapter(s).

**Song/Theme:** "All Eyes on Me" by Faye Wong


	11. Isn't She Lovely (Godaikoku Champ, pt 2)

(Posted: 08/19/2013.)

For this "early" update, you guys have **supportingcharacters, Dissonantia, bright-rebellious,** and **ignorance** (anonymous reviewer) to thank. They left such nice reviews that my heart was incredibly touched.

With that said, please don't expect this every time. Love you all!

* * *

_**Arabesque**_

I Can Hear the Sea

**11. ISN'T SHE LOVELY?**

**(**_**Godaikoku**_** Championships, part 2)**

**.**

_"... isn't she wonderful?"_

* * *

"_Considering the intensity of this matchup, the two gold-medal favorites have maintained a surprisingly civil, amicable relationship. There will be no knee-whacking here. [Michelle] Kwan, 21, and [Irina] Slutskaya, 23, are of the same generation, and of the same dreams. They have paid their dues, and are looking to cash in for the ultimate prize - the gold medal. _

_"We are maybe not close friends, but we are friendly," said Slutskaya, one of the few married skaters. "There is no reason not to be."_

—**From **_**Kwan, Slutskaya keeping a hot rivalry on ice**_** by the New York Daily News (Feb 7, 2002)**

* * *

**(—Nineteen years-old, mid-February)**

_(8 February, fifth season on the senior level)_

"The man skates like a bull. I mean, there's like, no artistry there."

"No, but the control he has over his jumps are second-to-none," Tenten giggled to her companion. "It's pretty crazy how he manages to land a tilted jump so stably. Lesser skaters just fall on those."

"You mean like me? I'm sure you could land that in your sleep!"

"Don't be so cheeky, Moegi," Tenten said, rolling her eyes. "This guy has four years over me on the senior level and he can land three quads in a program like it's nothing. But you're right, his presentation stinks."

"Well, at least he hasn't fallen or popped any jumps so far," Gekkō Hayate, an ice dancer, spoke up from Tenten's other side. "It's kind of been a splatfest so far ..."

Moegi snorted as they moved to clap their hands to the rhythm of the music just as the rest of the audience was doing. Tenten was currently watching the men's free skate event the day before her own and was sitting with her fellow Fire Country skaters in support of their teammates. Sitting next to her was fellow competitor, Ito Moegi. Sixteen and one year out of the junior circuit, Moegi was widely regarded as her "current" second-in-command.

Tenten had been thirteen when she was first allowed to compete at senior-level Nationals (the only senior event she was eligible for until she turned fifteen) and six titles later, she looked back to find that the silver medalist had been a different skater each year. Moegi had finished a rather distant second to Tenten at last year's Nationals, but had also managed to win this year's competition in Tenten's absence.

(Tenten liked to think that it signified that Moegi was a young skater with a very promising career.)

Sitting next to Moegi was newcomer Ueno Hibari, who was the same age as the freshly-minted National champion and was also new on the senior circuit this year. She had managed to snag a silver medal at Nationals and earned the third spot on the team at the _Godaikoku_ Championships. She did, however, miss a chance at being on the World team, seeing that Tenten and Moegi had barely managed to get two spots for the ladies' event due to their dismal showings at the Worlds' event last year.

"Maybe girls like him 'cause he flails around so much," Uzuki Yūgao, Hayate's partner, snickered as the on-ice skater threw himself into the straightline footwork. "He's got windmill arms."

"She's right," Hibari said from Moegi's other side, nodding her head. "See she doesn't get it either! Why do all these girls keep screaming for him? He's not even that hot either!"

"Maybe because he's an Earth Country skater and we're in Earth Country?" Tenten asked amusedly. "Besides, it's nice to show a little support for the skaters. Anyway, Hayate's right. He hasn't fallen even once, so I think competing with home crowd cheering for him is helping him so far."

"Yeah, okay. Fine," Hibari sulked, having been reprimanded by her senior.

The competitor punched his hands into the air as he finished his skate. The audience stood and cheered for him, Tenten and company included.

"Is Lee on the ice yet?" Moegi asked as the Earth Country skater retreated to the Kiss and Cry booth with his coach to receive his scores. Most of the audience was still cheering and little girls were scattered around the rink picking up flowers and gifts and things.

"Yeah, he's talking to Gai-_sensei_ over there," Tenten pointed towards a section of the ice. Lee was already inside the rink as Gai was talking to him by the boards.

_"The scores please, for Amano Akatsuchi."_

The audience fell silent.

_He has earned 172.22 for the free skate for a total of 250.56 and is currently in ... second place!"_

While the audience once again went crazy, Tenten's focus was mainly on her coach and her training partner. Lee seemed to be nodding to Gai while wiping his nose. When at last the audience quieted down to a hum, the announcer introduced Lee to the crowd.

_"The next competitor, representing Fire Country, please welcome ... Rock Lee!"_

As Lee skated out onto center ice, he was very well-received by the supportive crowd. Their little row of Fire Country skaters cheered loudly and proudly as Lee waved to the crowd. He was currently in fifth after the short program after receiving a score of 80.23.

For the free skate, he was skating to Nino Rota's "La Strada", a contrast to his soft and lyrical short program to "The Swan". For this program, Lee opted for a slightly more theatrical and whimsical route than most skaters would have. As the music began, he pretended that he'd just opened his eyes from a peaceful slumber and then pretended to trip on his skates, which had promptly "woken him up".

Lee then opened with a quad toe with plenty of height and distance across the ice; it would be sure to garner some +2.00s and +3.00 GOEs across the board from all the judges. Next were the quad toe-double toe combination and a triple axel; both delighted the crowd even more than his first (solo) quad.

After a flying sit spin, that's when Lee went to _work_.

He flew across the ice at a dizzying speed, throwing himself into his circular step sequence. For Tenten, it brought up past memories of grainy videotapes of a certain four-time world champion—more specially, _their _four-time World champion, Maito Gai. In his heyday, Gai-_sensei_ had been famous for his dazzling displays of footwork. Where other skaters faltered in their performances with methodical and half-hearted steps during this portion of their programs, Gai-_sensei_ had shined and delighted the crowd with how he flew across the ice with such quick steps, much like Lee was achieving now.

Doing the old man proud, that one.

Tenten smiled to herself. Off the ice and in training, Lee was usually _such_ a personality that it was sometimes a little embarrassing to be around him.

But whenever he stepped foot on competition ice, he transformed into a whole other person. He was actually kind of ... _suave_.

The audience was practically eating out of the palm of Lee's hand. Around the stadium, people of all ages and nationalities were clapping jovially to the beat of the music, having a grand old time.

Both Tenten and Lee were heart-on-sleeve type of skaters, Lee especially. As silly as he could be in his everyday life, he was able to channel his personality into his programs to make them as wonderfully expressive as his "La Strada" program was now. As he transitioned out of his circular steps, he flew into a triple flip-double loop-double loop—

_"Oh!"_

Tenten cringed a little. While Lee hadn't exactly fallen, he'd taken quite a few steps backward out of his three-jump combination. She figured it was probably because he'd thrown himself into his performance so much that he'd had too difficult of a time to control his speed.

Lee managed to reign himself back in for his last four jumping passes: triple loop, triple axel-triple toe (in the second-half of the program! That particular combination had the crowd in a _riot_), double lutz (it was supposed to have been a triple), and a triple salchow, before going into a slightly slow flying combination spin, which wasn't entirely uncharacteristic—spins weren't Lee's strong suit.

But then he flew back into another footwork sequence which was less whimsical than before, but more like one that highlighted the beginning of an end to his program. About a quarter of the audience was out of their seats for Lee had even finished his back scratch-spin; Tenten and her compatriots were no exception to that.

Lee pumped his fists into the air, overjoyed at having more-or-less landed all his jumps. About a third of the audience remained seated, but was still clapping for the skater from Konoha.

They all sat back down when Lee stepped out of the ice and into the Kiss and Cry area. Tenten and Moegi anxiously awaited his scores.

"Ohhh, I hope he gets a good score!" Moegi squeaked.

"Yeah, me too," Tenten laughed.

_"The scores please, for Rock Lee."_

The audience fell silent.

_He has earned 166.88 for the free skate for a total of 247.11 and is currently in ... third place!"_

While most of the attendees were clapping for his scores, there were many who thought he was underscored for his valiant efforts and made sure the judges knew it. Around her, some in the audience booed and jeered at the judges for placing him beneath Earth Country's Akatsuchi. Tenten was just a little worried for Lee. With two more skaters left to go, there was a chance that he'd get knocked off the podium and leave with a 5th place finish.

"Oh, come _on_!" Moegi complained. "How is his program component score lower than that of the skater currently in first place? That's bullshit!"

(By the end of the competition, Lee _barely_ managed to hold on to bronze—his second ever medal at the _Godaikoku_ Championships.)

**- - - x - - -**

_(9 February, the next day, morning.)_

The next morning was the ladies' final official practice, which also doubled as their dress rehearsal. Both Moegi and Hibari had already practiced earlier in the morning, having been part of the second and first groups, respectively, to skate based on their placements in the short program. Tenten was in a group of five, with four other formidable skaters sharing the ice with her: Water Country's Ringo Ameguri was there (having finished fifth in the short program) along with the Earth Country #1 Miyahara Kurotsuchi (fourth), who had missed out on the Grand Prix circuit as she had still been recovering from surgery for a hip injury. Yono Karui of Lightning Country who seemed to be having a relatively good event so far, and was sitting in third. (Samui sat in sixth, and therefore did not "make the cut".)

And, of course, Sabaku Temari of Wind Country.

Tenten had just come out of a triple jump just in time to catch the last spin of Kurotsuchi's "Memoirs of a Geisha" program, the pink sparkles on the _sakura_ flowers on her aqua blue dress shimmering under the stadium lights as the other skater struck her final pose. Kurotsuchi had drawn first in the skate order and Tenten third, so Tenten was right where she wanted to be. It would give her enough time to catch her breath after the five-minute warm up period later that night, but didn't make her wait too long to have her turn.

As fate would have it, Temari would be skating right before her, the reverse of what happened in the short program. So as the announcer called out the Wind skater's name, Tenten cleared out of Temari's way so that the older skater could practice her program in full.

Wearing a classy black turtleneck dress with an exhilarating open back, Temari skated into her opening pose.

The Wind skater would be skating to the music of _Boléro_. As the regal and one-movement piece came on, Tenten took the opportunity to briefly observe the choreography of the program. _Boléro_ was one of those pieces of music that no skater could use without bringing a skating legend to mind.

In this case, it was Gamadō Shima and Fukasaku, the legendary ice dancing team from the small principality of Myōboku, which was a mountainous region located between the borders of Fire and Waterfall Country. Shima and Fukasaku were the original innovators, even before they had become Olympic champions some thirty years ago. On the journey to their Olympic gold medal, they learned how to seamlessly edit their pieces of music and create choreography that blended artistry with athleticism, which would influence the skating styles of generations that came after them.

Their Olympic free dance was to the music of _Boléro_, which they had performed to absolute perfection. Even now, more than three decades after that breathtaking performance that had garnered a straight row of perfect 6.0s, no skater or team had ever escaped the mention of Gamadō Shima and Fukasaku if they ever skated to _Boléro_—not even Temari.

However, to Temari's credit, her take on the piece of music was quite unique and modern. She performed it with such gusto that no other skater had ever thought of doing before, so that was major points to her choreographer as well.

Of course, Temari's height of 5'6" was quite unusual for a female figure skater; Tenten was 5'4" herself, most skaters were her height or below. So, it was quite a surprise that Temari could even land a triple axel as well as she did—all of female figure skaters that had accomplished such a feat were all under 5'2", short, and stocky. Nonetheless, with her tall stature, she had developed her own style—light, but alluring and dramatic; a little reminiscent of Terumi Mei—that would accentuate her long limbs rather than hinder them.

Tenten was nervous about the free skate later that night to say the least.

**- - - x - - -**

_(9 February, later that evening.)_

"You know how I hired a private investigator to look for any half-siblings I might have?"

"I do," Neji answered.

"Well, surprisingly enough, I've only found _one_," Neji's older cousin Kō said with a sarcastic chuckle. "Anyway, you'll never guess who he is."

"It would be unlikely if it was someone that I do not know. Is this mystery person a figure in the public eye or otherwise?"

"Well, a bit of both, actually."

Neji stayed silent, waiting for Kō to elaborate. When he didn't, Neji prompted with, "And?"

"It's Shō Ao!" Kō exclaimed, "My little brother is Shō Ao! Can you believe it?"

"The Water Country swimmer?" Neji asked; this new information had him raising his eyebrows.

"That's the one," Kō replied. "Do you think I should reconnect with him? Invite him to the wedding or something?"

"He's _your_ half-brother. It is your decision, but I doubt the Elders would like that."

"_Perfect_. They're all too uptight anyway."

Even Neji had to smirk at this. Kō had always been considered to be the ideal ("perfect") Hyuuga princeling, so to speak, in his achievements and how he conducted himself—until he had met Shizuka. The cold beauty had stolen his heart and was perfect for him, except for one thing. She didn't come from an influential—or even wealthy—family. Because of this, Kō had to fight for her acceptance into the Hyuuga family for some time. Long story short, there were still some objections, but they were to be married in a few months. For Kō to say that he wanted _even more_ to ruffle a few feathers of some of the more pretentious Elders was quite amusing in itself.

Despite this, Neji still had to ask, "Is that really such a good idea?" as he reached for the bottle of sake on the coffee table and poured himself a saucer. "He may resent you for having all of Uncle Hoheto's attention growing up—and for being a bastard child."

"Illegitimate. Illegitimate child," Kō corrected. "It's a question I asked myself many times. But I thought I should at least try. I _did_ mention it to Uncle Hiashi, though."

"And?"

"He wasn't very receptive to the idea, but told me to do whatever felt right," Kō said, sighing and taking another drink. "Enough of that, so what's this I hear about my alleged half-brother and Tenten?"

Neji listened with annoyance as Kō rattled off on rumors he'd heard before setting the saucer down. "No truth to them," he replied gruffly.

"Really?" his cousin asked. "That commercial they shot together was pretty sweet."

"I am _quite_ certain," Neji stressed, pouring himself another saucer.

"Is that so?" Kō asked with a laugh.

"That is what I have been told."

"Well, in any case, he looks like a handsome fellow. Seems like he and Tenten have good chemistry together—that's what Shizuka says anyway."

"Hn."

"Take it easy, Neji," Kō laughed. "I'm only joking."

"Speaking of your fiancée," Neji began, "the wedding is in three months, is it not?"

"Don't remind me," Kō groaned. "If she would agree to an elopement, I would do it in a heartbeat. All this wedding-planning is driving me _insane_."

"The Elders would strongly object to that; though, perhaps less than if you told them you were planning to reconnect with your illegitimate half-brother," Neji said, turning his gaze to the television. Yono Karui from Lightning Country was doing rather poorly tonight. The combination of alcohol and his ongoing conversation with Kō was helping him get through it. "Is that why you are here drinking with me on a Saturday night instead of spending time with your fiancée?"

"Well, I'm not stupid enough go out with _my_ friends if she's at home planning for the wedding with her _her_ friends. The Manor seemed like the next best option since Aunt and Uncle are out of town," Kō said unabashedly, finishing his own saucer of sake. "Anyway," Kō said, quickly shifting gears, "Is Tenten okay? I heard about what happened with the hotel."

"I think so," Neji answered. "The Federation made sure to increase security."

"That's good to hear. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Though, I'm glad it wasn't at the World Championships."

"I would rather it not have happened at all."

"True." The two sat in a comfortable silence before Kō spoke up again. "Anyway, where are my cute little cousins?"

"Cute? Hardly. Hinata returned home for the weekend from university last night; she is out to dinner," Neji said. "As for Hanabi, she is somewhere around he—"

"HERE!" the youngest Hyuuga cried out, practically bouncing into the living room with the family Leonberger on her heels. Her hair was in a mess; something that would not be so if Hiashi was in the house. Hanabi had clearly just woken up from a nap. "Hinata and company are back, Neji-_niisan_. I saw Kiba park his car outside from the window. Kō-_niisan_, I didn't know you were coming."

"To be honest, I didn't either," Kō said, shrugging. "How's my favorite cousin doing?"

"Hinata's your favorite," Hanabi said, pouting.

"Eh, depends on how I feel at the moment," Kō teased, affectionately scratching Juuken's ear after the dog insistently nudged his free hand.

"Neji-_niisan_, you're not supposed to be drinking in front of me." Hanabi pouted. Neji ignored her. "Is Tenten on yet?"

"Not yet," Kō answered. "Might be soon though."

"_Heeey_, how's the soon-to-be married Hyuuga doing?" Kiba exclaimed as he entered the room with Akamaru beside him, and Hinata and Shino in front of him.

"Kō-_niisan!_" Hinata exclaimed happily. "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to see how my favorite family members were doing," Kō said sweetly.

"Liar," Neji muttered under his breath.

"Did you two get the wedding invitations?" Kō asked Kiba and Shino, ignoring Neji.

Shino nodded as Kiba said, "Y'know, my sister is going to be a bridesmaid in your wedding. It'd be a little awkward if we didn't get them."

"Ah, right. Right."

"Sabaku Temari, huh? To be honest, she's kind of hot," Kiba said, looking at the television and taking a seat next to Neji before swiping an extra saucer and pouring himself a drink. "How's Tenten looking?"

_'Stunning, beautiful, amazing_,' Neji wanted to answer. Instead, he settled on, "She's next."

As everyone else took their seats, Neji watched amusedly as Akamaru strolled towards Juuken, initiating a series of butt-sniffing on both sides until both large dogs planted their bottoms down on the floor, wagging their tails as they settled down. Neji turned his attention back on the large flat-screen.

_"Really great footwork sequence there. I mean, she's got every turn and step imaginable in it!"_

Sabaku Temari looked like she was really getting into the straight-line steps of her _Bolero_ program, using her upper body to really _feel_ the music. She was selling her long program quite brilliantly, as demonstrated by the audience members loudly clapping in unison to the beat of the music.

She followed it up with a sequence of choreographed spirals, which wasn't carried out as wonderfully as Tenten would've done, mainly because Temari lacked Tenten's extension and flexibility due to a back injury that she'd sustained in the past. Unlike with other programs, Temari chose to end her program with a jump instead of a spin, which was a pretty risky move considering that if it were to go wrong, it would have messed up the entire mood of the program.

_"This last triple salchow is going to make or break this program ... and she barely—just _barely_—squeaks it in!"_

_"Well, you can see her catching her breath at the end of the program here. It's really a bit difficult to skate in this arena, being that it's so warm in here."_

_"Yes, I do have to agree, Izumo. She opened with a beautiful, beautiful triple axel, and a gorgeous triple flip combination, but popped her triple lutz into a double and opted for an easier double toe at the end of her axel-toe combination. But that was a incredibly brilliant skate from Sabaku Temari, considering that this is her first international event since November."_

Sabaku Temari really was a brilliant skater; she wouldn't have made it to the top if she wasn't. At their best, she and Tenten would be on par with one another, almost equals. Whatever one might be deficient in, the other was stronger. Temari had been crowned World champion last year, and Tenten two years before that. But while Neji thought that Temari had reached the pinnacle of her skating skills, Neji believed that Tenten could progress even further—she would one day fully and undeniably eclipse the rest of her competition.

One day, she would be virtually unbeatable. He just knew it.

_"Everything is slowed-down in this program, which I think is good for her with this piece of music. She really just took the time to enjoy the program. She's certainly working her way to the World Championships next month."_

_"The scores please, for Sabaku Temari."_

_"For Sabaku Temari of Wind Country: she has earned 133.46 for the free skate—"_

_"...For a total score of _207.04, a new personal best_. She is currently in first place!"_

Cheers _erupted_ around the stadium. They knew what that score meant. On the screen, the faces of Temari and her coach lit up as they saw her score; Temari had covered her mouth in disbelief. She had passed the 200 mark—just like many skating commentators and reporters predicted she would earlier in the week.

Only, she didn't _just_ break 200, she _shattered_ it.

Only one woman had passed the total 200-mark since the implementation of the Code of Points (CoP) system; the Olympic champion, Kazahana Koyuki had only done it once in her lifetime (210.03) at the Olympics. Up until now, she had been the only woman to achieve this feat.

And even if it wasn't with a world-record score, Sabaku Temari was now the second.

Neji worried for Tenten.

Meanwhile, amid the thunderous cheers of the spectators, Tenten was being given a few last words of encouragement from Maito Gai while rubbing her nose with a tissue from the proffered box of tissue. When Gai-_sensei_ grinned and clapped his hands together, she smiled back at him and nodded before turning around to face the crowd.

_"No doubt hearing the very high marks for Temari may have had an effect on her," _Kotetsu commented. _"Talking to Maito Gai a moment ago and now skating off onto the ice is the leader after the short program after a new world record score. Can she beat that?"_

"And now, representing Fire Country, please welcome Ryū Tenten!"

"_She missed out on F.C. Nationals due to a stress fracture in her foot, but is back and here now hoping to get her third Godaikoku Championship title. With a record-breaking short program score two nights ago, we shall see if she can accomplish that Temari just did and perhaps set the bar even higher."_

Neji as Tenten took the ice; she waved her arms in the air, moving in a circular arc around the rink. Her presence was welcomed very warmly by the crowd—was it possible for such a petite figure to exude so much presence over such a spacious place?

The dress was exactly as Neji remembered; a sophisticated number of rich, vivid red. The golden sequins and beads of her dress reflected in the light, weaving around her costume in an intricate design. While her short program dress was designed by Deidara, this one was actually done by a relatively well-known designer of figure skating costumes. (As much as she was Deidara's new muse, Tenten did like variation.) Her ears were adorned with glittering princess-cut diamond studs on each side, the jewels glistening brightly as she moved her head.

(Faintly, he wondered how the earrings he was going to give her on her birthday would look on her. Would she wear them to the World Championships?)

"_Skating to _Scheherazade_, music that she and Yuuhi Kurenai chose together. Opening with a triple salchow—this replaces the jump, the quadruple toe-loop, which still hurts her foot."_

"Why does that jump hurt her foot but not the other?" Kiba asked, taking another drink of sake.

"Because one's a toe jump and the other one's an edge jump," Shino said monotonously.

"Yeah, like that explains _anything_ to me," Kiba said, rolling his eyes. "How do _you_ know so much, anyway?

"_She actually slipped off the edge on that triple salchow in practice earlier … something like that can shake your confidence. This is actually a jump that has given her trouble in the past year or so."_

Neji noted that, like her short program dress, this one clung to her lean body before gently flaring out at her bottom. This dress, however, was _far_ more ornate than her short program dress. Gold beading was meticulously and intelligently sewn onto the red dress, creating an intricate pattern along her upper body. The skirt of the dress had been constructed differently, with more layers and a carefully placed slit on one side. Even with the different skirt, the dress fluttered around her legs as she began to dance. There was intensity reflected in Tenten's hazel eyes as she flashed an alluring gaze at the judges before gliding backwards over the ice, setting up for her first jump.

"_Right here, triple salchooow—oh! I don't know if that was clean. Might have been a minor double-footed landing. We'll have to see the playback to figure that out."_

She enchanted the crowd with her expressive movements before immediately throwing herself into preparing for the next element in her program; her triple-triple combination.

"_Her combination is next … replaced the toe with the loop. Great speed across the ice—triple lutz … triple loop … yes! YES!"_

"Damn girl, my bad," Kiba joked. Akamaru barked from his spot right in front of the TV.

"_One of the hardest triple-triple combinations being done tonight! Did you see how she just flew into that? The amount of speed she picked up was incredible. We're really seeing the effects of Maito Gai's coaching in her."_

The few other skaters that had dared to attempt the triple lutz-triple loop combination had always made it seem so awkward and ugly, especially during the transition from the lutz to the loop. Neji knew that Tenten had studied the movement of reigning Olympic Champion, Kazahana Koyuki, because she had been the only woman to do that jump combination with such great quality.

"_And this spread eagle into a double axel … double toe … double loop; and an arm up on the loop—which adds to the difficulty. Very nicely landed. Very light, very elegant."_

"_There is such wonderful choreography in this program, done by Yuuhi Kurenai … just beautiful."_

As Tenten moved out of her first spin, a flying sit spin, she moved onto a series of choreographic passages just as quickly. With her movements, Tenten conveyed a sense of desperation—as the vizier's daughter, the brave and intelligent Scheherazade, felt when she was determined to save the lives of her people by deciding to captivate the attentions of a murderous sultan.

But there was _such_ an unforgettable _intensity_ in her eyes—she was more than just a pretty skater; she was a _competitor_, hungry for the win.

"She's really pretty, ne, Neji-_niisan_?" Hanabi slyly remarked, eyes glued to the screen.

With each intricate movement, Tenten spun a mesmerizing story, captivating the attentions of the viewers like the legendary storyteller captivated the king. Not only was she using her arms to express the music, but her whole body and her face as well. Her portrayal of the character was so convincing, so spellbinding— Neji was, without a doubt, enchanted.

"Hn."

"_Kind of reminds you of the 6.0 era, doesn't it, Kotetsu? She's just got these little flourishes that we don't see with many skaters nowadays—especially since everyone is so busy counting whether or not they have enough points in their program to win or medal."_

It wasn't a secret that Tenten looked up to skaters of old, like Senjuu Tsunade and Mitarashi Anko, the latter of which was currently commentating on the Fire Country broadcast of the competition. They had belonged to a period when artistry was held in equal, if not higher, regard to technical ability. Old man Sarutobi and Iruka-_sensei_ used to have her watch old skating tapes when she was younger to teach her the importance of good posture and how to use her whole body to effectively convey emotions. But while she admired the two illustrious skaters, she had a style and uniqueness all her own.

"_This triple loop—yes. Yes. Does it just so effortlessly. You know, I think her jumps have gotten stronger as this season has progressed."_

And then Neji saw it as it was happening. She wasn't going to make it. Even Akamaru and Juuken had made noises.

"_Double axel … triple to—"_

Shit, shit, SHIT!

_"Oh Kami-sama! That was unexpected. What a fall!"_

"Crap—"

"Hanabi, _language_," Hinata said sternly.

"—Crud, that looked like it hurt!" Hanabi cried, squeezing her head with her hands.

Her fall had Neji cringing on the inside. He had seen it, even from her position in the air. Her double axel had been off enough already, it hadn't been wise for her to do a triple toe—it had looked so off-axis in the air—Neji wished that she wouldn't have been so stubborn. Besides, that was the jump that hurt her foot! Stubborn woman!

"_That just … she didn't get enough lift into the air. I think her foot might still be giving her a bit of trouble."_

With the illusion shattered, Tenten quickly got up and flew into her arabesque spiral. The stretch and extension of her positions slowly got the crowd mesmerized once more—all exuded a sort of soaring feeling that matched the music.

"_But have you seen anything in this entire combination as beautiful as her spirals? The command she has over the ice when she performs these change of edges … marvelous."_

There really was nothing like the pristine white of her skating boots. While many other skaters decided to hide their boots under the nude flesh-color tights that were mandatory, Tenten went the classic route. She'd tried it one year, hiding her boots, but she had hated how her legs looked. "I look like I have fat ankles," she'd stated quite bluntly. So the tights were tucked back into her boots.

"_Triple flip. Ooh! She flew into it so fast, that I thought she was going to lose the landing on it, but she held on with such finesse!"_

With the fall on her second double axel combination, Neji knew that Tenten was still trying to get her concentration back. She'd gone into the triple flip so quickly that he thought it was a miracle that she'd been able to wrestle control back on the landing like that without double-footing it or putting her hand down—she actually held the landing position of that jump—it spoke volumes of how experienced of a skater she was.

"Her control over the ice is amazing," Hinata quietly, yet admiringly piped up from beside Hanabi.

Without any hesitations, Tenten flew into her flying combination spin at a dizzying speed. Every change in position was breathtakingly beautiful. She had such good posture and graceful flexibility—something that some skaters struggled with.

"_Good speed throughout this footwork here."_

"…_building up the tension before this final—triple lutz! Pure technique, her air positions are just flawless."_

Tenten had the most wonderful ride-outs from her jumps. The fact that she could hold onto the landing for a few more seconds after the jump was completed showed such balance, such mastery of the blade. The crowd clapped and cheered as she emerged from the last position on her final element, the combination spin, before bending backwards into her ending pose.

"_Beautiful program with some mistakes, but a standing ovation for her."_

Tenten relaxed out of her pose and slowly skated in a circle, putting her hands on her hips before smiling, embarrassed. Neji's heart floated in his chest as Tenten shook herself out of her thoughts and gave the crowd a bright smile before waving, bowing multiple times.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, from Fire Country, Ryū Tenten!" _the announcer called out.

"_She wasn't nearly as dominant as she could be, like in the short program … There might have been a mistake on the salchow; she had a _glaring mistake _on the second double axel combination where she fell, and that wild triple flip … did not skate to her full potential tonight, but man! I've said it before and I'll say it again, what a phenomenal skater—she's got such good basics and that makes for such wonderful technique."_

"No wonder she's your girl, eh little cousin?" Kō asked, nudging Neji.

"Who's his girl?" Kiba asked, never one to miss a beat. "Wait, you mean—"

"Tenten!" Hanabi yelled excitedly.

"We are just best friends," Neji said stiffly. "I have no claim on her."

"_Not a particularly wonderful skate for Ryū Tenten, but I mean, she's up against some really powerful skaters here. Lightning Country, the dominant country; Miyahara Kurotsuchi of Earth Country … and of course, Sabaku Temari who has been her rival for so, so long."_

_"But I think Kurotsuchi is going to get bumped out of second. Tenten, even with her flaws, was phenomenal."_

"Probably not, but you _do_ like her," Hanabi said simply.

"You like Tenten?" Kiba asked incredulously.

"_I agree, Anko. That performance was not easy for her—that mistake on the axel-toe combination shook her up a little bit, but she really managed to recover from that."_

"I do not—"

"He does—"

"Make up your damn minds," Kiba said, giving a pointed look to Hanabi and Neji.

Ko laughed. "So when are you going to do something about it?"

"I'm not going to do _anything_," Neji answered immediately, reaching for the sake bottle. He was too tired to argue and he recognized that it was futile to deny anything—but if they were going to have this conversation, he was going to need another drink. "Because there is not anything that needs to be done."

_"Now look at this triple salchow ... see how she kind of tenses up as she's entering the jump and—yeah, there was a slight double-footed landing on that jump. Possibly a minor downgrade on it as well."_

"_But the secret weapon in her vast arsenal of skating skills is really her triple-triple combinations. Her triple lutz-triple toe combination was already ranked right up there with that of the men. But this triple lutz-triple loop combination …"_

"Oh, come _on_. It's been like, what, about a year since you started liking her?" Hanabi asked, looking at him pointedly. "I heard you telling Hinata-_neechan_!"

"_H-Hanabi_!"

"So wait, it's actually _true_? Hina, why'd you keep it a secret from us for so long? I thought we were close," Kiba said with a laugh. "But suddenly everything makes sense. Geez, with all the eye-sex you keep trying to have with her ..."

"I _do not_—"

"Yeah, sometimes you kind of just _stare_ at her," Hanabi added in all her teenage wisdom, "like she's the center of your universe, or something cheesy like that. And why are you acting so stupid? I tell you _all the time_ that you should tell her!"

"_Look at the speed and the trajectory of her jumps—first and right into the second jump."_

"Hinata," Neji said, expecting a response from his younger cousin.

"Well, Neji-_niisan_, it's—I-I mean, I never wanted to _say_ anything and she's never noticed—"

Neji shot her a look.

"Erm. No, a-absolutely not," she hastily corrected.

"_And this double axel combination: shaky landing on the double axel and she just wasn't straight up in the air, nor did she get enough lift on the triple toe. It could be a costly mistake."_

"But why not ask her out?" Kiba asked, genuinely curious.

"Because he doesn't want to screw up their friendship," Shino spoke up.

"_But overall, her jumping technique's improved under the tutelage of Maito Gai—her artistry and acting has just been brought out by Yuuhi Kurenai. She's just gone above and beyond in her skating this year."_

"_The free skating scores please, for __Ryū Tenten."_

"I highly doubt your friendship's going to get to that," Kō said. "You two just need a ... _push_ in the right direction."

"Scores are coming up," Hanabi interrupted. "_Kami-sama_, I hope they're good ..."

Neji held his breath.

"_Her score for the free skate is … 128.77, with a total score of 204.61."_

"It's not enough," Kō muttered.

_"She is currently in ... second place!"_

"Ugh! I'm torn between feeling happy and feeling upset," Hanabi complained. Neji agreed.

_"Oh, it wasn't enough to win!"_ Kotetsu lamented. _"But she broke 200!"_

_"Kind of makes you wonder what kind of score she would've gotten if she'd skated perfectly and with a quad toe,"_ Anko stated. _"It would have been _massive!"

_" Both Tenten and Temari have broken the 200-mark and it's looking like they'll be the only ones to do so tonight. I highly doubt anyone else will be able to top what those two have done. _Highly_ doubt it."_

"Seriously though," Kō said. "I approve of her and I'm sure Aunt and Uncle do too. Ask the girl out, won't you?"

_Maybe on her birthday_, Neji thought.

"Seriously?" Kiba exclaimed in disbelief. Everyone else looked at Neji like he'd grown an extra head.

_Shit!_ He'd voiced that out loud!

"Wait, are you screwing with us right now?"

"No."

"Wait, like 'no' as in you're going to ask her, or 'no' as in you're screwing with our heads right now?" Kō asked.

"Choose whatever you feel is right," Neji said cryptically.

"Neji-_niisan_!" Hanabi pouted. "Tell us!"

"Well, _if you're going to ask her_, you better do it soon; Olympic season be damned," Kiba stated. "Ask her or someone else will, because I know for a fact that Sasuke's been giving her the same looks you have."

(At the end of the night, Tenten had done more than enough to keep her silver-medal position behind Temari.)

_"What?"_

"Just kidding—maybe."

_"Kiba."_

"Okay, okay! I made that part up."

* * *

I recently found a _NejiTen one-shot_ that I had been searching for but didn't remember the title or the author. Anyway, it's called **"Masquerade"** by **Lellian.** It's good; go check it out!

**- - - x - - -**

Was this chapter too long? I would hope not.

Links in profile: (1) YouTube video of what Lee's free skate is based on. That of Tenten's and Temari's will be posted later.

**Note #1: **The bit about Shima and Fukasaku (the toad sages!) and _Bolero_ is based on the legendary ice dance team Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean of Great Britain. _Bolero _is their most famous program where they received a string of perfect 6.0s for artistic impression at the 1984 Olympics—which was a truly amazing feat considering that the perfect 6.0 score was VERY rarely given, especially in international competitions, let alone a row of them. Even now, _Bolero_ is a piece of music that no skater can use without being compared to Torvill and Dean.

(Programs that were considered masterpieces in the past might not seem like that now to newer generations, but they paved the way for skaters today.)

**Note #2: **Lee's _La Strada _program is inspired by World Champion Daisuke Takahashi's 2009-2010 Olympic free skate to the same music. (That program is actually when I absolutely fell in love with Daisuke's skating.)

**Note #3:** Will post Tenten and Temari's free skating program inspirations in a later chapter.

**Song/Theme:** "Isn't She Lovely?" by Stevie Wonder


End file.
